St. Paul Street West (Regional Road 81) - GO Station Precinct Development Project
All Niagara Region projects

About the project

Niagara Region completed a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment for the replacement of the St. Paul Street West CN Rail Bridge in St. Catharines.

Originally constructed in 1922, the St. Paul Street West CN Rail Bridge has undergone extensive inspection and evaluation that has identified the structure for immediate replacement. The replacement will address the aging infrastructure and improve the vertical alignment of the roadway and the retaining walls on all bridge approaches.

Niagara Region is leading the project because of its close relation to the St. Catharines Train Station redevelopment to a multi-model transit hub. Improvements to access the transit station via Great Western Street will be addressed.

In partnership with the City of St. Catharines, Ridley Road will also be reconstructed under this construction project.

Project update

Niagara Region has been observing the bridge's condition since load restrictions and lane closures were put in place in December 2022 due to the bridge's condition at that time.

Niagara Region and Canadian National Railway are closing the bridge due to the continuing deterioration of the structure. It would pose a significant risk to the health and safety of the public if it were to stay open.

The bridge is closing to all vehicles before the winter weather because it can no longer safely handle the traffic and snow load. It also cannot support winter maintenance vehicles.

Bridge replacement

The road closure for vehicles will start on Nov. 20, 2023. Pedestrians and cyclists can cross the bridge until the removal process starts. The bridge is expected to be closed until the end of 2026.

Timelines shared at the November open house were the best estimates at that time. As the process continues, we are refining the expected timelines.

We are working with the bridge owner, Canadian National Railway, and Bell Canada to have the Bell utilities moved as quickly as possible.

GO station precinct and Ridley area projects

The replacement of the bridge is part of a larger project for the area and includes Niagara Region and City of St. Catharines projects:

• St. Paul Street West CNR Bridge replacement (Niagara Region)
• St. Catharines Train Station / Transit Hub site works (Niagara Region)
• Station access road from Ridley Road to the Train Station / Transit Hub (Niagara Region and City of St. Catharines)
• Ridley Road reconstruction (City of St. Catharines)

These projects will be grouped together for faster and more efficient construction.

Project timeline