CORNWALL, Ontario – On Monday, June 26, Brookdale Avenue re-opened to traffic.
Since 2009, Brookdale Ave. and the Seaway International Bridge has been under various stages of construction as the previous, taller bridge structure was replaced with a flatter, more direct route to Cornwall Island.
The project was a cooperation between the City of Cornwall and the Federal Government. It involved extensive work high above ground, on ground-level and under the surface.
It has seen three municipal General Managers of Infrastructure guide it to completion;Norm Levac, John Wintle and finally, John St. Marseille.
As of June 26, Brookdale Avenue is open to traffic in both directions and the project has been completed by Louis Bray Construction on time and on budget.
In fact, the project was completed a few weeks early. Originally, Brookdale Ave. was supposed to open after Canada Day, but Louis Bray, the City and the Federal Bridge Corporation (FBC) were able to move it forward to coincide with Canada’s 150th birthday.
“The Federal Bridge Corporation is pleased to mark the opening of Brookdale Avenue, an important milestone as we near completion of the $74.8-million North Channel Bridge project,” said Natalie Kinloch, Chief Financial and Operating Officer at Federal Bridge Corporation. “The FBCL engineering team led these works, in close collaboration with the City of Cornwall and Louis W. Bray Construction Ltd., to rehabilitate this main artery following the demolition of the high-level bridge.”
Mayor Leslie O’Shaughnessy praised the project and explained that much needed work was accomplished.
“The City of Cornwall took advantage of this work by making significant investments in the underground infrastructure on Brookdale Avenue,” said Mayor Leslie O’Shaughnessy. “We are very appreciative of the public’s patience and cooperation while this multi-year rehabilitation project was completed.”
He also said that many citizens of Cornwall had been anxiously awaiting the day the major municipal artery re-opened.
“The timeline according to my inbox could have been quicker,” he said. “For the past two months, every morning, my inbox has been full.”
Cornwall’s General Manager of Infrastructure and Municipal Works explained that significant amounts of work had been done underground.
“This project has been a key part of the City’s Asset Management Plan with major storm sewer, sanitary sewer and watermain replacement being completed,” said John St. Marseille, General Manager, Infrastructure & Municipal Works. “We continue to take steps towards making Cornwall more accessible for all forms of transportation. This project is yet another example of that.”
There are still some finishing touches to be made along Brookdale Ave., such as landscaping and tree planting, but the route will remain open.
