[lucasmascotto]

Waterfront trail: Demolished 403 bridge's arches to be pillars of public art
(The Hamilton Spectator, Carmela Fragomeni, Tuesday, July 05, 2016)

The city is undertaking a public art project on a soon-to-be demolished highway bridge over the Desjardin Canal.

The project, approved by Monday's general issues committee, calls for the city to take ownership of 10 concrete columns to be left standing by the Ministry of Transportation once it demolishes the arch bridge that carries the eastbound Highway 403 over the canal and Waterfront Trail between the Main Street and York Boulevard interchanges.

"It has some degree of heritage value, but not enough. So they (MTO officials) have come to us to get some recognition of heritage," said Coun. Judi Partridge.

The MTO will build the new bridge this year and then demolish the old one.

Given their location adjacent to the popular Waterfront Trail, keeping the columns, according to a city staff report, will provide "an excellent location to tell the many stories of not only the bridge but of the canal and its surroundings …"

It will also reduce the amount of disturbance to the trail and canal caused by demolishing the bridge — and it will keep some of the "bridge's rich cultural heritage."

The commemorative public art project also fits in with the city's policy to develop and "animate" public spaces and places.

There will be no cost to the city to keep and cap the columns (at 2.5 metres above the trail height) because the MTO has agreed to do it.

The city will pay $20,000 to undertake surface repairs and graffiti protection.