Burlington Canal Lift Bridge: Bridge deck replacement project
Find out about the deck replacement project for the existing Burlington Canal Lift Bridge.
On this page
Project overview
- Location
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Burlington, Ontario
Locate the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge on a map - Type of project
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Replacement
- Lead department
- Design and engineering consultant
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AECOM Canada Ltd.
- Construction manager
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EllisDon Civil Ltd. and Chant Ltd., in joint venture
- Project cost
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$32.5 million
- Project status
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Completed
Project description
About the bridge
The Burlington Canal Lift Bridge provides access to thousands of motorists and pedestrians entering Hamilton Harbour.
Replacement project
This project involved replacing the existing bridge deck. The 3 main objectives for this project are described below:
- to replace the lift span deck
- to rehabilitate the approach spans
- to widen sections of the sidewalk, in order to provide sufficient width for pedestrians and cyclists to both pass safely
It is anticipated that this project will extend the life of key components of the bridge by approximately:
- 50 years for the deck and sidewalk
- 30 years for the approaches
This project will improve the overall operations of the bridge, extend its lifespan and ensure the continued safety of bridge users.
The design and engineering tender was posted on buyandsell.gc.ca in early November 2021 and closed on December 21, 2021. The design and engineering contract was awarded to AECOM Canada Ltd. on January 21, 2022.
The construction management tender was posted on buyandsell.gc.ca on April 12, 2022, and closed on June 3, 2022. The construction management contract was awarded to EllisDon Civil Ltd. and Chant Ltd., in joint venture, on June 21, 2022.
Project phases
The 2 phases of this project are described below.
Phase 1: Removing and replacing the existing bridge deck
Phase 1 of the project included replacing the lift span deck.
This work began during the winter 2022 to 2023 seasonal shutdown (late December 2022 to March 2023) and continued through the rest of 2023.
Work accelerated during the winter 2024 seasonal shutdown (January to March 2024) and was completed in time to reopen for marine navigation.
A bridge closure was required from January to March 2024 to complete phase 1 of the project, replacing the lift span deck, and to begin phase 2, rehabilitating the approach spans. During this time, the bridge was closed to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
Phase 2: Rehabilitating the bridge approach spans and widening localized sections of the sidewalk
Phase 2 of the project began during the winter 2024 seasonal shutdown (January to March 2024) and continued into fall 2024.
The work included:
- rehabilitating the approach spans
- removing the concrete decks
- rehabilitating the existing structural steel.
Photo gallery
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Key milestones
- January 2020: start project preplanning and stakeholder consultations
- January 2022: award design and engineering contract
- June 2022: award construction management contract
- Winter 2023: start construction for phase 1
- Winter 2024: complete construction for phase 1 and start construction for phase 2
- Fall 2024: complete construction for phase 2
- Fall 2024: complete project
Project background
Engaging with stakeholders
In early 2020, we started work on a concept design to replace the bridge deck. While developing the preliminary design, we advised and consulted with the key stakeholders affected by the project:
- Ontario Ministry of Transportation
- Cities of Hamilton and Burlington
- Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority
We ensured that stakeholders were regularly consulted throughout the planning process.
Initial meetings with stakeholders were held in May and July 2021.
Latest news about this project
July 7, 2022: Government of Canada awards construction management contract for Burlington Canal Lift Bridge deck replacement