CORNWALL – A section of Pitt Street between Tollgate Road and South Branch Road will be closed nightly this weekend.
There’s also a longer term plan to keep it shut every night through mid-September.
The road will be closed at 7 p.m. and reopen at 6 a.m. tonight (Friday), Saturday and Sunday.
An MTO contractor is in the midst of replacing the first of two Highway 401 overpass structures.
Meanwhile, city council is scheduled to hear from MTO spokesman Joanna Bruce on Monday night (July 22) about closing the section of road every night from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. through Sept. 17 due to “ongoing health and safety concerns” due to height restrictions at the bridge.
Even though officials have put up signs and have police and flaggers on site, oversized trucks are not getting the message.
On a number of occasions, tractor-trailers have made their way down Pitt Street, only to be caught by the low bridge clearance of 3.75 meters (12.3 feet). Then, they have to back up or turn around against traffic, posing a safety risk to other motorists.
In one case, states a city report, a backhoe struck part of the bridge work.
The MTO will be looking for council’s blessing because, under the agreement with the contractor, there was only a provision to close the roadway for a maximum of 15 days during the construction season.
The special council meeting starts at 6 p.m. on Monday.