Construction on the new Scotts Mills Dam at Lock 19 on the Trent-Severn Waterway is set to resume shortly — as early as this week, according to a media release from Parks Canada.
The good news for Peterborough residents where the dam is located, south of Lansdowne Street where it crosses the Otonabee River, is that pile driving won’t resume until June.
The loud pounding of the pile driving, which could be heard from kilometres away, was a regular feature of the construction before it was temporarily halted to accommodate heavy water flows associated with the spring melt, as well as in-water work restrictions outlined by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Construction will be resuming on the first two sluices and completion of the secant retaining wall on the eastern shoreline. Demolition and excavation are almost complete, with construction of the pier, base slab, and stilling basin to follow.
Local residents can expect additional construction noise when construction resumes, especially in June when pile driving resumes.
According to Parks Canada, the new dam will respect the historic look of the site and will have a life expectancy of more than 80 years.
It will optimize hydraulic capacity, increase the safety of water management operations, and be constructed in a way that allows improved access for maintenance activities.
In addition, the project will be the first step in creating a more public-friendly lock site. Once restored, the dam will include pedestrian access onto the dam itself.
This story has been corrected to indicate that the temporary break in construction was previously planned and was unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.
