North Hatley bridge to be replaced this summer

Residents and tourists driving through North Hatley will have quite the detour this summer and fall, thanks to work scheduled by the Transport Ministry (MTQ) to reconstruct the bridge in the centre of town. According to North Hatley Mayor Michael Page, the town has known for years that bridge work was inevitable. “Safety first,” the mayor said. “We were warned for a few years,” Page explained, “that major work would soon be required. We kept putting it off to try for grants to do a signature bridge, to have something special for the town.” The town was unable to secure funds to embellish the bridge. They were, however, able to negotiate an arch bridge to liberate space underneath for passing boats, Page said. The bridge replacement is scheduled to begin Aug. 1. The work is supposed to be completed before Christmas, Page added, but no specific timeline is in place at the moment. See full story in the Tuesday, Feb. 4 edition of The Record.