The turtles underneath the South Main Street Bridge in Port Robinson are one step closer to being saved. During last night’s city council meeting, council members voted unanimously to move forward with phase one of the multi-phase project that will turn the dilapidated bridge into an EcoPark.
As ThoroldToday recently reported, a whole ecosystem has sprung up underneath the South Main St Bridge over the past few decades. After the city announced the closure of the bridge in 2018, local residents sprung into action to save the bridge and the wildlife underneath.
City Hall staff have put together a three-phase plan to turn the bridge into an EcoPark. Phase one is to be completed this year and will see the development of an environmental enhancement strategy. Phase two will take place in 2023 and will see a detailed design for the bridge and EcoPark. Phase three takes care of the construction portion of the project and is aiming for completion in 2024 and 2025.
“I think it’s important to keep putting money and ideas towards this to keep it alive,” Councillor Ken Sentance told his fellow councillors during the meeting. “Keep it going, look for funding, and look for ways to creatively fund this like we have with other projects.”
McIntosh Perry Consulting Engineers Ltd. is the firm tapped to complete phase one of the project. The company will put together a report to identify potential preliminary impacts and mitigations associated with the proposed work.
Now that phase one is going ahead, the project is one step closer to becoming a reality. But with a municipal election coming up later this year, it remains to be seen whether the project will actually come to fruition.
