Motorists travelling northbound can expect closures of Oxford Road 59 (Vansittart Avenue) Bridge and Tecumseh Street on two days in June

UPDATE (June 17, 2024): Temporary closures for Oxford Road 59 (Vansittart Avenue) bridge and Tecumseh Street will take place Wednesday, June 19 and Friday, June 21.

Oxford Road 59 (Vansittart Avenue) bridge and Tecumseh Street in Woodstock will temporarily close to all northbound vehicle and pedestrian traffic on two days between June 19 and 28 for concrete deck pouring. These are additional closures to the ones already in place for bridge reconstruction work that began in February and will last to December 2024.

During this period Oxford Road 59 from Devonshire Ave. to Tecumseh St. will be closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic in both directions for a period of 12-15 hours on each of the two days. Vehicles should use alternate travel routes:

• West to Oxford Road 30 (11th Line)
• East to Oxford Road 4

Tecumseh St. will be open to local traffic southbound only for a period of 6-9 hours, then it will re-open to local traffic only in both directions after work is completed.

Access for emergency responders (fire, police, and ambulance) will be maintained on Oxford Road 59 northbound with support from police at the intersection of Devonshire and Vansittart Avenues.

These closures are subject to change due to weather or other factors. Signs will be posted in advance.

Please watch for updates at www.oxfordcounty.ca/59bridge and on our social media channels.

Background

• The Oxford Road 59 bridge is a primary transportation route in the City of Woodstock with an annual average daily traffic volume of 13,410 vehicles per day.

• Originally built in 1967, the Oxford Road 59 (Vansittart Ave.) bridge is undergoing major reconstruction in 2024, including complete removal and replacement of the existing bridge deck, repairs to the structure, and a new wider deck to accommodate bike lanes and sidewalks. Rehabilitation of the bridge was identified as a priority in a 2022 bridge inspection report.

• To prepare for rehabilitation work, Oxford County compared a number of construction staging scenarios in the fall of 2023, consulting with emergency responders (fire, police and ambulance), local utilities, rail authorities, and the City of Woodstock to arrive at a construction plan that balances timing, traffic impacts, cost, site safety and, importantly, the need to maintain northbound access for emergency responders.

• The Oxford Road 59 bridge reconstruction project is considered to be of generational magnitude, meaning work is of a scale only necessary once in a generation. When completed, this project will extend the service life of the bridge by 75 years.