About the Lasalle Causeway
Explore the history and structures that make up the LaSalle Causeway.
On this page
Overview
The LaSalle Causeway is considered part of Highway 2, connecting the city of Kingston to its eastern suburbs. The LaSalle Causeway links downtown Kingston to Pittsburgh district at the mouth of the Cataraqui River.
The Cataraqui River mark the southern entrance to the Rideau Canal, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The LaSalle Causeway provides marine access to the Rideau Canal and to Kingston’s inner harbour.
Bridges and wharves
The causeway consists of 5 connected structures that support road traffic, marine navigation and bridge operations. These structures include 3 bridges and 2 wharves.
Bridges
The causeway includes the following bridges:
- West Bridge (fixed)
- East Bridge (fixed)
- Modular bridge (removable, installed in 2024)
The West Bridge and the East Bridge are fixed bridges located at each end of the causeway. The modular bridge structure spans the central navigation channel. It replaced the former Bascule Bridge, which was demolished and removed in June 2024.
Former Bascule Bridge
The Bascule Bridge previously occupied the main navigation channel. During each navigation season, the bridge lifted to allow marine access to pass.
On March 30, 2024, construction work damaged part of the Bascule Bridge. A diagonal steel truss element that supported the counterweight was compromised. We analyzed the damage and found that key elements of the bridge had shifted out of alignment. This damage would have significantly reduced the bridge’s remaining service life.
After discussions with the City of Kingston, we decided to demolish and remove the entire bridge.
On June 20, 2024, crews demolished and removed the Bascule Bridge. This work reopened the LaSalle Causeway for marine navigation.
Modular bridge
On October 3, 2024, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) installed a modular bridge in the main navigation channel. This work reopened the LaSalle Causeway for marine navigation. The new bridge allows vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists to cross the causeway.
About the modular bridge
The modular bridge is a 2-lane pre-fabricated truss bridge. It supports legal vehicle traffic and includes a separate sidewalk for pedestrians. The bridge sits on the existing supporting structures (abutments) of the former Bascule Bridge.
The modular design allows us to remove and reinstall the bridge when needed. This flexibility allows marine traffic to use the main navigation channel.
Bridge lift process and safety
Each bridge lift is a planned operation. PSPC manages the work, and its contractor, Priestly Demolition Inc. (PDI), carries it out using specialized marine equipment.
To lift the bridge:
- hydraulic jacks raise the bridge off the abutments
- crews remove water from the supporting barge to make it rise (deballast)
- once the bridge is floating on the barge, a tugboat moves it out of the navigation channel so marine traffic can pass safely
Crews follow the same steps but in reverse to reinstall the bridge.
Engineers inspect the bridge before and after each lift. They confirm that the structure, alignment and connections meet highway safety standards. Engineers certify the bridge as safe before reopening it to traffic.
We carefully coordinate all lift activities to protect marine navigation, maintain public safety and reduce disruption on the causeway.
Operation costs
Operating the modular bridge in 2025 cost approximately $4.8 million. This total includes:
- PDI’s contract costs
- PSPC internal costs related to the initial implementation of the modular bridge
Some of these costs are one-time expenses and are not expected to repeat in future years.
Contract information
For more information on the contract, consult the Award notice: LaSalle Causeway Bascule Bridge Design Build Demolition in Kingston, Ontario.
Wharves
The LaSalle Causeway includes 2 wharves:
- West Wharf
- East Wharf
The West Wharf features the site office and workshop for the bridge and the operator control station. It also includes the operator control station that supported the former Bascule Bridge. This control station is no longer in use.
Marine navigation and surroundings
The main navigation channel runs beneath the modular bridge and opens on a fixed schedule to accommodate larger and taller vessels. A secondary channel under the East Bridge is available at all times for smaller and shallower vessels.
For more information, consult the Schedule for marine navigation channel access.
History of the causeway
The causeway has undergone various structural changes over the years.
Opening of the causeway
- The causeway, in its current form, opened to traffic in 1917
- The Bascule Bridge replaced the 1829 Penny Bridge, a wooden toll bridge with a swing section, allowing marine vessels to pass
- Strauss Bascule Bridge Company of Chicago designed the single-leaf Strauss heel trunnion bascule bridge
- At the time, the East Bridge and West Bridge were single-span through truss structures
Structural upgrades and rehabilitation
- 1969: the East Bridge was replaced with a two-span prestressed concrete voided slab beam bridge
- 1994: the West Bridge was replaced with a two-span prestressed concrete box girder bridge
- 2010: the steel structure and coating of the Bascule Bridge underwent extensive rehabilitation
- 2020: the Bascule Bridge's mechanical systems were repaired to address the systems' deficiencies that impacted operations
- 2021: the Bascule Bridge's structural steel was repaired to address fatigue issues in the truss structure
- 2022: concrete repairs at the abutments were completed
- 2023: construction work began on the Bascule Bridge rehabilitation
- June 2024: the Bascule Bridge was demolished and removed due to damage incurred during construction
- October 2024: a modular bridge was installed to reinstate road access for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians