Work on replacing the 9th Street bridge across the Sydenham River in Owen Sound will start next week.
The project was originally planned to begin in June, but the city has decided it’s better to wait until after a very busy Canada Day weekend.
There are a number of events being held this weekend.
The list includes the West Hill Secondary School reunion, the Big Music Fest at Kelso Beach and the Hottest Yard Sale Under the Sun.
Mayor Ruth Lovell Stanners says it would simply have been too much of a strain if people could not access every downtown street.
So the work will begin next Monday, July 5th.
At the same time, in an attempt to ease the expected downtown traffic congestion, traffic will begin to move two ways on 1st Avenue West between 8th and 9th Streets.
For decades, that stretch of road has accommodated only one-way traffic, from south to north.
Angle parking on the east side of the avenue will be replaced by parallel parking for northbound vehicles.
Lovell Stanners says the change will take some getting used to, but signage will be erected and there will be significant police presence for the first little while.
