Petition to move Colborne Street bridge spearheaded by Lindsay woman
Project is currently in design phase
Council accepted a deputation from a Kawartha Lakes resident regarding a request to relocate the proposed Colborne Street Bridge, a project that has been studied for decades.
Nancy Kelley delivered the deputation at the Feb. 24 regular council meeting and submitted a petition on behalf of residents in favour of relocating the proposed bridge. The petition has received 123 signatures.
The proposed Colborne Street Bridge is designed to cross the Scugog River, connecting the current dead ends of Colborne Street West and Colborne Street East.
The project’s primary goal is to support and improve traffic flow as the city grows in the coming years. Planning for the site has been a long-term endeavour; environmental assessments were first conducted in 1994 and updated in 2000.
An information package provided to council noted there are three bridges in Lindsay and that several other Canadian municipalities situated along rivers – including Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Que., Saint John, N.B., and Moncton, N.B. – have larger populations but fewer bridges.
“The idea of building a bridge that would connect Colborne Street West and Colborne Street East is an old idea,” Kelley told council. “It is a cost-saving and convenient solution if one wants another bridge, yet Lindsay residents have petitioned against the proposed location for over 30 years. Unfortunately, council has stuck to its plan and ignored the people’s wishes.”
Since 2000, city staff and council have conducted several follow-up reviews to confirm the location’s viability, the city states on its website.
“The need for this bridge has been recognized for decades,” the website says, noting the connection is a key component of the city’s long-term transportation plan.
Kelley told council the bridge could increase traffic in the area – especially vehicles travelling to and from Peterborough, Newcastle, Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls – leading to increased noise and pollution, as well as safety concerns, given there is a public park on the south side of Colborne Street West. Kelley argued a more suitable location would be further north rather than a central location in Lindsay.
“The Scugog River defines Lindsay,” Kelley told council. “It’s the city’s unique landmark and, as such, it should be protected and enhanced as a tourist attraction and for residents to enjoy.”
According to the city, the project is currently in the design phase, with 60 per cent of the detailed design complete.
“The plan is to tender the project in 2026, pending Council approval, with construction anticipated to begin in late 2026 and continue through 2028,” the city’s website said.
How can we sign this petition?
Agreed if you think about it for more than two seconds like most people, a more north location makes.sense. not. Building a bridge beside another bridge.
This is why nothing gets done. Let’s spend more money . With no results. Other than higher taxes. It’s ten years past due now . Not a shovel in the ground. The bridge could have been built and paid for with the money spent it already.
i would like to sign the petition in favour of the bridge. With this bridge it will help aleviate the clogging of the olnly bridge in town pretty much
I did not see where exactly Ms. Kelly thought the new bridge should go. To me, joining the the sides of Colborne St. is the most viable and probably the least expensive. Our City Council sucks more money from us in Taxes that some people can afford. I think the paying of the bridge should come from the companies throwing up all these new houses. That is what is causing the over load on our streets and roads. These builders, such as Flato and others throw a bit of money at Council and places like the Academy Theatre and we are suppose to cheer them for doing so! These builders need to start paying for more than they have been. We need more schools for one! The bridge from one side of Colbourne to the other is the most viable and will cause the least amount of displacement. It makes no sense to build it farther north. The hole idea, as I understand is to make it easier for traffice to flow from one side of town to the other. Currently, the only way it is being done is using Wellington to Queen sts. That intersection is extremely congested as certain times of day. Moving the bridge farther north is not going to alleviate that congestion.
This bridge needs to be built. To much traffic on colbourne and william. Lindsay is growing. Fastest way from 35 north to 36. You want a city ,well changes have to be made
Agreed!
Totally agree
123 people over the rest of the ckl.
It’s time to eliminate the bottleneck at Wellington St.
Colborne st makes sense. We need another bridge, especially if they keep building new homes.
Wherever it’s put somebody’s going to whine about it.
Maybe elsewhere there will be more than 123 signatures
We NEED the colbourne st. Bridge period!
That’s the problem , we won’t be able to make everyone happy. The vast majority of the people ok COKL need the colbourne st. Bridge period $
We definitely need the bridge on Colborne. Sometimes the Wellington St. Bridge is backed up past the lights on Lindsay St.
We’ve been waiting too waiting far too long.
The bridge is very needed.
you cannot plese all of the people …just build the bridge, it is already costing millions upon millions more because you have put it off for plus 20+ years, build it or shelf the idea permanantly, city is just wasting time and money on a 30 plus year “plan” …..this is a prime example of just wasting taxpayers dollars.
I guess the 123 people that signed the petition have never tried to cross the Wellington Street bridge since the traffic has increased. I personally have waited two or three red lights to come from Queen Street to Wellington. So annoying!
A bridge at Colbourne street is an old idea that must be put to rest. Having three bridhges crossing the Scugog river within 500 meters makes no sense. Another crossing is likely needed but with the growth and development north of the city (Lindsay), a location further north should be considered. Relying on a study that was made 20+ years ago ignores the current reality of Lindsay and what the city will look like in another 20 years.
I wish I had known about the petition, I know many residents that would have signed it.
This is a time when I wish our counselors would pay close attention to local residents …
And just like that, the delegation from NIMY has delayed the bridge for another 30 years.
“An information package provided to council noted there are three bridges in Lindsay….”
But I know of only two. There is a bridge on LIndsay Street south near the intersection with Logie St. There is a second bridge at the intersection of Wellington St., Queen Street and Lindsay street north. Where is the third bridge for vehicle traffic?
Lindsay St. N., between Kent St. East and King St., is where the third bridge is located.
I agree the bridge needs to be built but to the north where all the reidential growth is happening.
We need a high capacity arterial road across the north end of Lindsay, connecting Hwy 35 to CKL Rd 36.
Thunderbridge Rd and Lagoon Rd should be developed as that major arterial road and we need to start now.
The Colborne St Bridge Project has been talked about for 50 years. The County of Victoria was planning for it 30 years ago.
For the first 25 years of the City of Kawartha Lakes, the lack of leadership on building the Colborne St bridge was appalling. It’s been a political football.
Building a bridge at Thunderbridge Rd is also necessary for the next stage of growth. It’s necessary to provide a truck route across the north end of Lindsay to access the Landfill facility. It’s necessary to connect the Super Jail and the Industrial area of Lindsay to Hwy 35, so that we don’t need to have trucks and garbage trucks on Colborne.
We need strong leadership in Council to not only build the Colborne St bridge, but to also start the planning for that major arterial bridge and road across the top of Lindsay.
And yes, development charges from new developments can fund arterial roads and bridges and growth can pay for growth in infrastructure.
In fact, if CKL Rd 36 was still a Provincial Highway, we could have a bridge at Thunderbridge road partly paid for by the Province as a connecting road between two highways.