Rebuilt Victoria Bridge set to open for pedestrians, cyclists, then drivers

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Two years of construction, some mollusk protection and a design debate later, residents of Old South finally will get to drive across the new Victoria Bridge this week.

The bridge over the south branch of the Thames River on Ridout Street will open officially Thursday, the city says.

Residents of the area will be relieved, said Mario Circelli of the Old South Community Organization.

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“It’s been incredibly inconvenient and it’s been a cause of some challenges. It’s a main artery into our neighbourhood,” he said. “It’s going to be nice to be able travel through there, and return to some sense of normalcy.”

Built in 1926, the Victoria Bridge connects Old South to the downtown, carrying an estimated 12,000 vehicles a day, as well as pedestrians and cyclists.

It’s also used as a north-south route to downtown for many residents living in the western parts of London.

Work on the $22.8-million replacement of the bridge began in summer 2022, with the detour around construction expected to last 14 months. But supply chain issues and challenges protecting the river environment, especially an endangered species of mollusk, delayed completion of the project.

The previous  citycouncil also briefly debated, and rejected, a proposal to scale back the design of the new arched bridge to save some money.

“I think the design is a beautiful ode to the city, the city of bridges and rivers,” Ward 11 Coun. Skylar Franke said. “It’s nice to have an aesthetically pleasing bridge.”

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The bridge will have lights that follow the curve of the arches, much like Blackfriars Bridge, she said. “When that’s all lit up at night, it will be very beautiful.”

Old South residents did their best adjusting to the bridge closure, but Wortley Road and side streets filled with traffic that couldn’t get down Ridout, Franke said.

“The bridge will reduce traffic on some of the streets and hopefully calm the traffic on Wortley Road,” she said.

For the rest of Londoners, faced with construction on Wellington Road, the bridge will offer another north-south route to downtown, she noted.

Although the bridge has been open at times to pedestrians and cyclists, it hasn’t been a pleasant experience, Franke said.

The new bridge will have a bike path on the east side, and a multi-mode pathway on west side, she said.

City hall is promising a celebration Thursday “with music, activities, remarks and a ribbon cutting.”

“Those attending are encouraged to walk or roll to the event to mingle and enjoy the new bridge, before it opens to traffic later in the day,” city hall officials said in a statement. Just when it opens to vehicle traffic will be announced in a later news release, city officials noted.

“The new bridge includes improved active transportation features, connections to the Thames Valley Parkway and incorporates several climate change considerations,” the city hall statement read.

If you go

What: Victoria Bridge opening

When: July 4, 11:30 am to 12:30 p.m.

Details: Ribbon cutting, speeches, activities, music. Opens to traffic later in the day.

rrichmond@postmedia.com

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