Third Crossing Project Updates
UPDATE:
6/2/2017: Final reports on Third Crossing business plan and preliminary design now posted.
The final reports on the business plan and preliminary design for the proposed Third Crossing across the Cataraqui River are now available on the City of Kingston’s website.
“These are the reports council will use to make its decision on the proposed bridge. The final reports reflect the community input we have received in the last month since we released the drafts – and the history of community input and council direction provided since the environmental assessment for the Third Crossing started in 2009,” says Mark Van Buren, director of engineering.
Find the final reports here.
The results of phases two and three of the Third Crossing Action Plan will be presented at a special meeting of council at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13. The agenda for that meeting will be available on the City’s website on June 6 along with the final report on the project’s public engagement. This report will reference the engagement on these phases of work, including what was heard and how community input, where applicable, is reflected in the preliminary design and business plan.
If council decides to move forward with the Third Crossing at the meeting of June 13, the next step would be to develop final design requirements and procurement documents for the construction of the bridge.
Council meetings are live-streamed on the Kingston City Council YouTube channel and live-Tweeted @KingstonMeeting.
5/2/2017: The City of Kingston has created three information sheets offering a high-level overview of the draft reports outlining the strategic case, preliminary design and the business plan for the proposed Third Crossing project.
“As work continues on the draft reports, we want to give residents a first look at the high level information that makes up the draft reports on the preliminary design and business plan for the Third Crossing,” says Mark Van Buren, director of engineering. “We look forward to hearing from residents and getting their feedback at the upcoming open houses where some of this information will be laid out in greater detail.”
Staff will be on hand at the open houses to speak to all aspects of the work to make the proposed bridge over the Cataraqui River shovel-ready – a priority set by city council. Each information sheet outlines a specific piece of work:
City of Kingston Information Sheets
1. The strategic case for the proposed Third Crossing provides information on why the Third Crossing is needed. It summarizes previous studies and the considerations that support the need to add transportation capacity across the Cataraqui River.
2. The preliminary design and cost estimate looks at the technical feasibility of the project and an overview of the work guiding the preliminary design, including: the evolution of the design work and the updated cost estimate. The updated cost estimate for the Third Crossing is $180M in 2019 dollars, the anticipated year of construction.
3. The business plan offers an overview of the cost-benefit, economic impact and procurement options analyses for the Third Crossing. It shows how the project has been considered and factored into the City’s long-range financial plan. The economic feasibility analyses will help decide whether the project is a good investment for Kingston and its potential funding partners.“The updated cost estimate of $180 million reflects two major components, changes to construction price inflation and the cost to build a temporary work bridge to support
“The updated cost estimate of $180 million reflects two major components, changes to construction price inflation and the cost to build a temporary work bridge to support construction of the Third Crossing,” says Van Buren. “It’s important to note that the Third Crossing, like several other major capital infrastructure projects, has been considered and included into the City’s priorities and financial plans and no tax increase is required to fund this project.”
Project funding is projected to include $60 million from each of the Government of Canada and Province of Ontario for a total of $120 million. The City would contribute $60 million of which $30 million would be funded from development charges. The City will pay its share of the remaining $30 million through a combination of 50 per cent “pay as you go” in cash and the remaining 50 per cent through debt issuance.
The information sheets are available here.
Once completed in May, the draft reports on the business plan and preliminary design for the Third Crossing will be available for public comment. The final reports, reflecting this public input, will be presented to council for consideration in June.
About the City of Kingston
The City of Kingston provides municipal services to 125,000 residents living in this visually stunning, historic city, often ranked one of the best places to live in Canada. Kingston is focusing on being smart and livable as it pursues its vision to become Canada’s most sustainable city. We focus on environmental responsibility, social equity, economic health and cultural vitality –ensuring that today’s decisions don’t compromise our future.
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