Still waiting to hear about a permanent replacement to LaSalle Causeway bridge: Kingston Mayor

Paterson says the causeway will once again be closed to vehicular traffic every Sunday during the summer months.

We are months away from summer but the talk around Kingston is about the LaSalle Causeway.

The controversial modular bridge is expected to remain in place this summer connecting the downtown to the east end. Once a week during the boating season, the bridge is removed to allow vessel to pass through the channel.

Mayor Bryan Paterson tells Reid and Ben of 98.3 FLY FM that he understands the current set up is not the ideal solution.

It's been two years since the original causeway bridge was removed after damage was caused during restoration.

Paterson says they are waiting for word from the federal government on when a permanent solution to the causeway will arrive.

Until then, motorists will have to rely on alternate routes on Sundays when the causeway will be closed to traffic between May and October.

Paterson says regardless of what action will be taken on a permanent solution, it will not happen overnight.

There was petition late last year organized by Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands-Rideau Lakes MPP Steve Clark calling on the federal government to install a structure that would allow all marine traffic to pass through the causeway. It states that the communities along the Rideau Canal are being negatively impacted by the lack of marine traffic.

Story by Ken Hashizume