The City reports it is immediately closing a stretch of sidewalk on Ontario Street that runs beside the the historic stone wall by Fort Frontenac.
According to a release, a recently completed assessment by the Department of National Defence has revealed that the wall – located where Ontario Street curves toward the Causeway bridge – is in need of urgent structural repairs.
An alternate route for pedestrians is being determined and will be announced as soon as possible.
UPDATE: May 2, 2019
In a release, the City of Kingston announced it has approved a Department of National Defence plan for a walkway to allow pedestrians to get from The Tragically Hip Way to the east side of the La Salle Causeway while structural repairs are made to the Fort Frontenac wall on Ontario Street.
The approved encroachment permit and traffic control plan contains the following measures:
- Closing the northbound lane on Ontario Street from Tragically Hip Way to Place D’Armes to allow for a 2m temporary pedestrian walkway to be installed on the roadway.
- Directing northbound traffic along one of the existing southbound lanes between Place D’Armes and The Tragically Hip Way.
- Creating a new temporary walkway separated from the northbound traffic lane using a Jersey barrier and the existing traffic island, and separated from the Fort Frontenac wall construction site by temporary construction fencing.
- Creating an accessible pedestrian ramp north of Place D’Armes from the existing sidewalk onto the temporary pedestrian walkway.
- Closing the north crosswalk at The Tragically Hip Way and Ontario Street as the pedestrian crosswalk push buttons on the northeast corner will not be accessible.
- Prohibiting semi-trucks from making left-hand turns from The Tragically Hip Way to Ontario or right-hand turns from Wolfe Island Ferry to Ontario Street due to the new lane configurations.
- Installing signage and new road markings to guide vehicles and pedestrian through the construction site.
Details about the timing, barriers, signage and other aspects of the plan are being worked on by the Department of National Defence.
Complimentary Kingston Transit around the closure will remain in place until the alternate route is constructed by the Department of National Defence.
Photo: Google
