Temporary LaSalle Causeway Bridge opening on Thursday in Kingston, Ont.

The LaSalle Causeway bridge in Kingston, Ont. will reopen to vehicles on Thursday. (City of Kingston/X)

A temporary bridge is set to open over the Cataraqui River in Kingston, Ont. this afternoon, allowing vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians to cross the LaSalle Causeway for the first time in months.

The City of Kingston says the two-lane, temporary modular bridge will provide a shared roadway for cyclists and motorists, with a separate sidewalk for pedestrians. The bridge will open to vehicles at 12 p.m. 

The Lasalle Causeway, a main transportation link between downtown and Kingston's east end, has been closed since the bridge was damaged during maintenance work at the end of March. A diagonal steel truss element supporting the counterweight of the bridge was damaged during construction, forcing officials to demolish the structure.

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The damaged bridge was demolished in June, allowing marine traffic to resume along the Cataraqui River at the mouth of the Rideau Canal. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) says all elements of the Bascule Bridge were removed, including the lift span, counterweight truss and support tower.

The new temporary bridge is scheduled to open Thursday evening.

"The temporary modular bridge is a two-lane pre-fabricated truss bridge," PSPC said in a statement.

"It will accommodate legal, unrestricted vehicle traffic and include a separate sidewalk. The bridge will sit on the existing abutments of the previous Bascule Bridge."

The temporary bridge will be closed twice this fall to open the main marine navigation channel – on Oct. 15 and Nov. 16.

Public Services and Procurement Canada says the temporary bridge will be in place until a permanent replacement bridge is built.

Traffic signals, bus routes

The City of Kingston says traffic signal timings at intersections around the LaSalle Causeway and Waaban Crossing will be updated once the temporary bridge opens.

"Timings will be monitored in the days and weeks following the reopening to make any necessary adjustments based on the new traffic pattern," the city said.

Kingston Transit will adjust transit routes starting on Saturday, with Route 12 and 22 providing service across the LaSalle Causeway and Waaban Crossing.