On Saturday, June 8, the Town of Newmarket will be reopening the Queen Street bridge over the railway tracks to regular two-way traffic with the previously signed 10-tonne weight limit in place. The Queen Street bridge was previously closed in late April out of an abundance of caution while the Town conducted a more in-depth structural analysis of the bridge. <br>

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This careful decision to reopen the bridge was taken after the Town consulted with a second independent structural engineering firm that undertook a more comprehensive and quantitative assessment with structural modeling to compare it to the original inspections which were based on visual qualitative observations only. The findings from the second assessment show that the bridge has enough structural core capacity and redundancy to allow for it to reopen to regular traffic under the previously signed 10-tonne weight restriction. The bridge will continue to be inspected every month to ensure it continues to be safe for all. The Town of Newmarket would like to thank all residents for their patience during this brief but necessary closure. 

Background on the Queen Street Bridge Project 

The Queen Street bridge is scheduled to be fully replaced in 2025 due to its age and condition. Since 2021, the Town has been conducting regular inspections to monitor and maintain the bridge for public safety along with a signed 10-tonne weight restriction to discourage use of the bridge by heavy truck traffic. 

Despite the 10-tonne weight restriction in place, the Town continued to see heavy truck traffic which prompted the Town to close the bridge late April 2024 out of an abundance of caution as recommended by the Town's Structural Engineer. This decision was paramount to ensure the safety of all bridge users. During this brief closure, the Town sought out an independent structural engineering firm for a more comprehensive assessment to compare it with the Town's original findings. 

Currently, Bell Canada continues to complete their utility work, which involves cable placing and the splicing of wires on Queen Street. This work is expected to be completed by the end of the year with minimal disruptions to the public. Relocation of the utilities will allow the replacement of the bridge deck to commence in early Spring 2025.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we complete this important work. 

For future updates and more information, please visit heynewmaket.ca/queenbridge.