'It's definitely on!': Chatham to celebrate bridge reopening despite still being closed
A celebration of the Third Street Bridge reopening in downtown Chatham is still taking place Saturday despite the bridge still being closed to traffic and pedestrians.
“Bridgerama Day 2022” is being hosted by the Historic Downtown Chatham BIA and was meant to celebrate the end of reconstruction that has lasted well over a year.
“If it opens a month from now, it's still a celebration of the opening of the bridge,” said organizer Clair Culliford.
“People heard bridge closed and thought, no Bridgerama Day on Saturday,” Culliford said. “We definitely had to take time to think about it and try to get the message out again. It's definitely on!”
Earlier this week The Municipality of Chatham-Kent said missing railings delayed the re-opening. A ribbon cutting ceremony marking the completion of the bridge project was scheduled for Friday, but was postponed because the pedestrian safety railings had not arrived on site.
According to Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff, some railings arrived Friday, with word more will be delivered soon to complete to project.
“Some of the railings are here, they're not all here,” Canniff explained. “They’ll be coming over the next little while. So once all the railings are here, we will be able to finalize a time. The contractor will be able to say, you know what I can deliver in this period of time.”
Canniff said he anticipated a completion date to be known soon, noting “significant” penalties are handed down for each day the project is delayed past its deadline.
“The show must go on!” Canniff exclaimed. “So Bridgerama is happening tomorrow on Saturday. And we're going to come out here and celebrate the bridge almost being finished.”
Bridgerama runs Saturday, July 23 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
The event will feature entertainment, sales, arts and crafts, and stories.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Three dead after vehicle plunged down a 100-foot embankment in Shediac, N.B.
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
Appeal denied for Edmonton soldier accused of trying to kill her 3 children
An Edmonton woman found guilty of trying to kill her three children has been denied an appeal.