Ontario Construction News staff writer
EllisDon has been named construction manager for the replacement of the Little Current Swing Bridge on Highway 6, the Ontario government announced Thursday.
The new bridge will replace the 110-year-old crossing that provides the only year-round road connection between Manitoulin Island and the mainland.
The existing bridge was built in 1913 as a railway bridge. It operated as a rail crossing until 1946, when it was modified to accommodate motor vehicles.
The five-span centre-pivot swing bridge includes two 56-metre spans and a sidewalk on its west side. It is listed on the Ontario Heritage Bridge List.
The existing structure is nearing the end of its service life and has been recommended for replacement.
The preliminary design for the replacement was established through a Planning, Preliminary Design and Class Environmental Assessment study completed in 2023 and documented in a Transportation Environmental Study Report.
The recommended design calls for a new through-truss swing bridge on a new alignment approximately 80 metres west of the existing structure.
The replacement will maintain the swing-bridge configuration while providing a new two-lane crossing for vehicles and pedestrians.
The province awarded the detail design contract for the project last fall. The selection of EllisDon as construction manager is the latest step toward construction of the new crossing.
“The Little Current Swing Bridge is a vital connection for Manitoulin Island residents, businesses, and visitors,” Northern Economic Development and Growth Minister George Pirie said in a statement. “As the Island’s only year-round road crossing, it supports access to jobs, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities across the region.”
The bridge carries approximately 4,500 vehicles a day during peak summer months, according to the province.
The bridge was dedicated in September as the Constable Marc Hovingh Minjimennikaade Memorial Bridge.
“Replacing the Little Current Swing Bridge will protect this critical connection to Manitoulin Island, support good-paying jobs in the region and keep families,” said Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.
The province is investing more than $600 million in highway projects across Northern Ontario in 2026-27.
Other major northern highway projects include upgrades to Highway 17 between Echo Bay and Highway 548, four-laning Highway 17 between Thunder Bay and Nipigon and between Kenora and the Manitoba border, and widening Highway 69 between Parry Sound and Sudbury.
“The Little Current Swing Bridge is much more than a transportation link it is an economic gateway connecting Manitoulin Island to markets, jobs and opportunities across Northern Ontario and the rest of the province,” said Steven Crombie, senior director of public affairs for the Ontario Road Builders’ Association.
“A modern, reliable crossing will strengthen the movement of goods and people, support Manitoulin’s tourism, agriculture and resource-based industries, and provide businesses with the certainty they need to invest and grow.”
