After more than 50 years of community conversation, we are excited to officially open the new Waaban Crossing on Tuesday, Dec. 13! The opening will officially mark the transition to the bridge’s community-selected name. 

The Waaban Crossing is the largest infrastructure project taken on by the City to date, with the City of Kingston and the Governments of Canada and Ontario each contributing $60 million toward building this new 1.2-km bridge. The $180-million-dollar project is on time and on budget. 

This would not have been possible without the unprecedented teamwork between members of the project team. The Waaban Crossing is the first bridge project in North America to be delivered using the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model. The design and construction are the result of ongoing collaboration with the City’s IPD partners: Peter Kiewit Sons ULC (Kiewit), Hatch Ltd. (Hatch) and SYSTRA International Bridge Technologies (SYSTRA). This dynamic team was selected in August 2018 after seven international teams initially applied for the job during a request for proposals. 

The bridge is the culmination of many years of preparation including environmental assessments, transportation planning, population growth projections, public engagement, information sharing with Indigenous Nations, and partnerships with local, provincial and federal organizations and agencies. 

The new crossing will support ongoing growth and development in the Kingston community, enhance access for emergency services and advance the City’s active transportation network. Community benefits during construction include over 320,000 hours in local contracts and labour from Kingston and surrounding area, 93 contracts secured with local businesses, well over $10,000 in charitable donations given by the contractors, and over 80 community service hours offered by the contractors. 

Be the first to walk, ride or drive across the new Waaban Crossing

To mark this historic occasion, the City is partnering with United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) to offer the chance for three community members to be the first to travel across the new bridge.

All proceeds from the online auction will go toward United Way’s community programming. Visit 32Auctions.com/WaabanCrossing to place a bid. The winners will be announced on Dec. 7 and contacted directly by United Way staff. 
 

What to expect on Tuesday, Dec. 13

• Morning and early afternoon – The bridge and roadway remain closed to the public. 
• 2 - 2:30 p.m. - Project staff and dignitaries gather on the east shore of the bridge at Gore Road for the official ribbon cutting. 
• 2:45 p.m. - United Way KFL&A auction winners take their first walk, ride or drive across the bridge.
• Early evening - Barricades will be lifted once the winners have completed their trip and the bridge will be open to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. The exact time will depend on the length of the trip. 

As a reminder, the bridge remains closed to the public until Dec. 13.