The Niska Road bridge in Guelph’s west end will close at the end of the month – and nobody knows when it will reopen.
The indefinite closure begins Feb. 28. It will leave the bridge over the Speed River inaccessible to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
City officials say the closures is due to “safety concerns about the bridge’s condition,” as well as the potential for rain and high-flowing water to erode its supports.
“The structural issues cannot be addressed through repair and would require replacement of the abutments,” the city said in a news release.
The one-lane bridge was installed in 1974, after a previous bridge over the river collapsed. According to the city, it was never meant to be a permanent replacement.
In 2013, a consultant found that the current bridge was approaching the end of its lifespan. At that point, it started undergoing more frequent safety inspections.
A $2.4-million plan to build a new, two-lane bridge over the river has been approved by city councillors. Its fate currently rests with the province.
