Ontario names construction manager for Little Current swing bridge replacement

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Little Current bridge replacement

Highlights

Ontario selected a construction manager for the Little Current Swing Bridge replacement, advancing its only road link to Manitoulin Island on Highway 6.
The project is part of Ontario's $31 billion investment for repairing and expanding highways, roads, and bridges, with a focus on Northern Ontario infrastructure.
Ontario's broader plan involves more than $236 billion in investment to promote economic growth, enhance safety, and sustain employment in northern communities.

Bridge replacement plan moves forward

As reported by Ontario Newsroom, the provincial government says it has selected a construction manager for the Little Current Swing Bridge replacement project, marking the next step in rebuilding the only road crossing to Manitoulin Island. The bridge in the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands is 110 years old and remains a key route for residents, businesses and visitors using Highway 6.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria says the project forms part of the government's wider push to strengthen highways and bridges that northern communities rely on. The province says it awarded a detailed design contract for the new two-lane swing bridge last fall, and adds that the replacement is intended to maintain dependable, year-round access to jobs, housing and essential services.

George Pirie, Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth, says the province is preserving the bridge's swing design while replacing a critical piece of infrastructure. He says the investment is meant to keep people and goods moving safely and reliably for decades while protecting the character of the gateway to Manitoulin Island.

Northern Ontario investment and regional impact

The announcement ties into Ontario's broader transport spending program, which includes a stated $31 billion investment to repair and expand highways, roads and bridges across the province. In Northern Ontario, the government highlights projects including upgrades to Highway 17 from Echo Bay to Highway 548, four-laning the Trans-Canada Highway from Thunder Bay to Nipigon and from Kenora to the Manitoba border, and widening Highway 69 between Parry Sound and Sudbury.

Bill Rosenberg, MPP for Algoma, Manitoulin, says the crossing is a vital year-round corridor linking Manitoulin Island to the mainland for residents, businesses, visitors and freight transport. The province says its broader plan to build Ontario includes more than $236 billion in investment, with northern road and highway spending aimed at supporting economic growth, improving safety and sustaining employment.

Our earlier article on Canada’s push to expand sovereign AI computing infrastructure outlined federal backing for Bell Canada’s planned Bell AI Fabric expansion in Saskatchewan. We noted the project’s scale—up to 900 megawatts of added capacity and major capital spending—and how Ottawa is positioning new data centres as strategic infrastructure tied to jobs, security and long-term competitiveness.

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