Oxford Road 59 (Vansittart Ave) bridge construction

First posted January 11, 2024
Updated: February 27, 2025

Construction update

Bridge renovation work is expected to finish in April, with southbound lane closure and detour to be reinstated for a shorter-term construction at Vansittart Ave and Devonshire Ave intersection in late spring

The timeline for rehabilitation work on the Oxford Road 59 (Vansittart Avenue) bridge in Woodstock has been extended due to unfavourable weather conditions in January and February. The remaining work is also temperature-dependent and requires warmer and drier conditions to complete, but with the current long-range forecast, construction is now expected to finish in early April 2025.

The bridge will reopen to traffic in both directions at this time, but traffic is expected to be reduced to a single lane northbound again between Devonshire Avenue and Tecumseh Street in late spring 2025. The two detours that have been in place over the past year will also be reinstated.

This second lane closure is for the first part of a four-year reconstruction project to improve Oxford Road 35 (Devonshire Avenue) in Woodstock. Construction at the Vansittart Avenue and Devonshire Avenue intersection will be carried out over several weeks in the spring, after which bridge traffic will return to normal. Road closures will then be in place on Devonshire Avenue between Vansittart Avenue and Wellington Street for sanitary, storm and watermain replacement and repairs; road replacement; new bike lanes and sidewalks; and new traffic signals and street lights.

The reconstruction of Devonshire Avenue and the intersection of Devonshire Avenue and Vansittart Avenue is currently in the tendering process. Oxford County will provide an update to the community once the contract has been awarded and the contractor’s construction schedule is determined.

2024 Construction on Oxford Road 59 (Vansittart Ave) bridge

Construction work on the Oxford Road 59 (Vansittart Avenue) bridge in Woodstock is ongoing from February until December 2024. During this time:

• Traffic is reduced to a single lane northbound between Devonshire Avenue and Tecumseh Street.
  
  
• Southbound traffic is routed to two detours:
  Detour 1 - Oxford Road 17 west to Oxford Road 30 (11th Line)
  Detour 2 - Oxford Road 17 east to Oxford Road 4
  
  
• Tecumseh Street is open to local traffic only.
  
  
• Pedestrian access has been maintained through a sidewalk on one side of the northbound lane, with the side of the lane subject to change based on construction.
  
  
• Access from Tecumseh Street to Pittock Conservation Area’s South Shore Trail also remains open, although the parking lot under the bridge is not be open for public use. The City of Woodstock is advising residents of alternate parking at Pittock Dam (Rivercrest Drive), Roth Park (Highland Drive), and the Pittock South Shore Trail entrance (Lansdowne Avenue).
  
  
• All transit buses southbound on the City of Woodstock Route 4 are being detoured during the construction period. Northbound bus routes will remain the same. For Woodstock Transit service updates, please visit the City of Woodstock website.
  
  
• People travelling through this area should expect traffic delays. Please help keep our community and workers safe: respect work zones, obey traffic signs, and maintain a safe distance from equipment and vehicles entering and leaving the site. The posted speed will be reduced to 40 km/hr through the work zone, with speeding fines doubled when workers are present.

About this project

• 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(External link) 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.
  
  

This project is possible in part thanks to funding from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF).

More information

During construction, Oxford County will share information about the project through this page, social media, the Oxford County website, advertising and local media.

If you have questions, please reach out to one of the project contacts.