Hastings bridge reconstruction can cost you time and fuel

January 21, 2016 at 4:28 pm

The swing bridge over the Trent River in Hastings has been removed and will be replaced with a rebuilt one. Photo by Corey Jacobs, QNet News

By Corey Jacobs

HASTINGS – The swing bridge that connects the two halves of the village of Hastings is shut down for repairs that will take months, leaving people on either side of the bridge scrambling to get to shops, school and work.

Businesses remain open and people are still able to cross the Trent River using a temporary walkway. But the closure that will last until late May has made a big difference in daily life in the community.

Hastings is Open even if the Bridge is not! https://t.co/GCKzW1keqV

— NorthumberlandView (@nview) January 7, 2016

Katie Oliver, who lives on the north side of the river, works the night shift at Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford, a commute of just under 20 kilometres. With the bridge reconstruction underway, she must plan every trip with extra time to cross the walkway to where she parks her truck on the south side. It’s still a lot quicker than taking the 40-kilometre detour that is now the quickest way to Campbellford from north-side Hastings.

The designated parking area she uses is not ideal, said Oliver, 25.

“Not only is it very dark, it’s very slippery,” she said. “I’ve fallen right on my bum.”

Since her fall she gets her husband, Fraser Oliver, to walk her across.

The bridge closure is a big inconvenience, Fraser Oliver said.

“Everything starts earlier. You’ve got to wake up earlier. You’ve got to be prepared earlier. Your boss isn’t going to be like, ‘You get half an hour leisure time,’ you know: ‘You work at eight o’clock, you’ve got to be here for eight.’ ”

There have been problems aside from the advance planning residents need to make. High winds the night of Jan. 9 caused damage to the walkway.

“All the fencing had come down into the walk areas,” Katie Oliver said.

No one was injured, but it did create an inconvenience for anyone crossing, she said.

The walkway fence fell over due to high winds early this month. Photo by Corey Jacobs, QNet News

The construction project is contracted to Louis W. Bray Construction Limited of Ottawa. The work started Jan. 4. The project has been planned for several years, but was delayed because of concerns about the impact of a long-term closure of the bridge.

A tent covers the workers at the swing bridge in Hastings. Photo by Corey Jacobs, QNet News

There are two possible detour routes around the closed crossing: one via Northumberland County Road 30 to the east and one via Northumberland County Road to the west. Both add a great deal of time and mileage:

A free shuttle bus every Wednesday, paid for by Community Care Northumberland and the Municipality of Trent Hills, transports people who can’t use the walkway. It picks up people at the Hastings Subway restaurant on the south side and drops them off at Todd’s Valu-Mart on the north side, travelling via the hamlet of Trent River and the villages of Havelock and Norwood. The last pickup is at 5 p.m. outside Subway. Click here to download the full schedule.