Niagara Region Awards $6.78M Contract to Replace 59-Year-Old J.R. Stork Bridge in St. Catharines
According to the Daily Commercial News, Niagara Region has awarded a $6.78 million contract to replace the 59-year-old J.R. Stork Bridge on Martindale Road (Regional Road 38) in St. Catharines, Ontario, with construction expected to wrap by December 2026, weather permitting.
Project Details and Timeline
The bridge, originally built in 1967, carries Martindale Road over Martindale Pond and Richardson Creek, roughly 1.1 kilometres north of the Queen Elizabeth Way. A structural analysis in 2019 recommended full replacement after the bridge reached the end of its useful life. Rankin Construction is the awarded contractor.
The scope goes beyond the bridge deck itself. Work includes reconstruction of the approaching roadways on both sides of the structure, plus replacement of an existing watermain crossing under Richardson Creek, coordinated with Niagara Region’s Water and Wastewater Division. The City of St. Catharines is a minor cost-sharing partner, contributing to a wider sidewalk on the east side of the new structure.
Martindale Road closed in June 2026 to kick off construction. Utility work, including permanent relocation of hydro poles and temporary relocation of bridge-mounted utilities, was completed between 2024 and 2025.
“This is a collaborative project between Niagara Region Transportation and Niagara Region Water and Wastewater,” said Jason Misner, Niagara Region senior communications specialist. The J.R. Stork Bridge is one of 219 structures owned and managed by Niagara Region.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Concrete and civil trades should note this is a full structure replacement with roadway reconstruction on both approaches, meaning work extends well beyond the bridge footprint itself.
- Utility and mechanical subs take note: the project includes watermain replacement under the creek, a scope item that required coordination between two separate regional divisions and signals multi-trade opportunity on similar aging infrastructure jobs.
- Ontario-based heavy civil firms should monitor Niagara Region’s project pipeline closely. With 219 structures under regional management, the J.R. Stork replacement is unlikely to be a one-off. Aging infrastructure spending across Ontario municipalities is creating a sustained tender flow for bridge and road rehabilitation work.
- Timing matters: The tender closed in June 2026 and construction is on a tight, single-season schedule through December. Subs bidding future regional jobs should anticipate compressed timelines and weather-contingency language in contracts.
