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Niagara Region recently awarded the St. Catharines Go Precinct Development Project to local contractor Rankin Construction.

Following approval by the region’s public works committee, Rankin gained the multiple-component project for which the region has cost sharing agreements in place with the City of St. Catharines and Canadian National Railway (CNR).

“We know how critical this project is to the Region of Niagara, City of St. Catharines and the CN railway and are really looking forward to making this a successful project for all parties. We’re hoping to start work in the next few weeks and expect to be well underway with new road construction and have the existing St. Paul West/CN bridge removed before the end of this year,” said Bill Snow, senior vice-president with Rankin Construction Inc.

The work will include the replacement of the St. Paul Street West CNR bridge over railroad tracks and the reconstruction of Ridley Road with new access to the St. Catharines GO station.

The bridge, located on St. Paul Street West, has been closed since the fall of 2023 and although the region does not yet have a detailed construction schedule complete, work on the various projects will be happening in conjunction with each other. The bridge construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2025 with the remaining works completed by 2026.

“Combining the multiple works into one project was done to minimize cost and maximize efficiencies between similar work happening near one another,” said Dave Lampman, Niagara Region manager of capital projects, transportation engineering, of the $34.88 million contract.

“Completing the different components under one contract and with one contractor will also help minimize traffic disruptions with the contractor having control of the scheduling and staging of all operations.”

The bridge was built in 1922 and is owned by CNR. A 2022 inspection by Niagara Region found it was in need of immediate replacement. After closing it in 2023 to prevent a health and safety risk, the replacement will address the structural and safety issues and improve the vertical alignment of the roadway and the retaining walls on all bridge approaches.

The awarded contract includes:

• Demolition of the existing CNR Bridge over the railroad tracks on St. Paul Street West.
• Construction of a new bridge over the railroad tracks on St. Paul Street West.
• Reconstruction of St. Paul Street West from Marigold Street to just east of the intersection of St. Paul Street West and St. Paul Crescent.
• Reconstruction of Ridley Road from Louth Street to Henrietta Street.
• Construction of a new access road that will connect the St. Catharines GO Station to Ridley Road.
• Construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of the new access road and Ridley Road.
• Reconstruction of Great Western Street.
• Reconstruction of the GO station site. This includes reconstruction of the parking lot and the addition of a bus loop.

According to the region, the costs associated with the demolition of the existing bridge and construction of the new bridge are split between the Niagara Region and CNR.

“Final cost sharing costs will be based on actual construction cost at the end of the project at which time the Niagara Region will take over ownership,” Lampman said.

In other financials, the roadwork around the St. Paul Street bridge approaches is being cost shared between Niagara Region and the City of St. Catharines.

The roadwork on Great Western Street is being cost shared between Niagara Region, City of St. Catharines and CNR.

The sanitary sewers and watermains are 100 per cent paid by the City of St. Catharines. Storm sewers are cost shared between Niagara Region and the City of St. Catharines.