KINGSTON – The final piece of the funding puzzle for the third crossing fell into place Wednesday morning.

In front of more than 100 enthusiastic supporters, Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen announced $60 million in federal infrastructure funding.

“This is a major infrastructure project that will further connect our city,” Gerretsen said. “The third crossing has been talked about for decades.”

The bridge’s cost, pegged at $180 million, is to be split between the federal and provincial governments and the city.

The project has been discussed and debated since it was first proposed in the 1960s and Gerretsen credited previous mayors, city councillors and provincial and federal politicians with keeping the project alive.

“It’s very personally rewarding to be the member of parliament on the day we get to make this announcement,” he said.

The province and the city committed their $60-million shares last June and Gerretsen provincial support for the project had to be in place before the federal government would consider it.

“To be honest, infrastructure projects of this nature are really led by the province. The biggest stepping stone was getting the provincial government to commit,” Gerretsen said, adding that Kingston and the Islands MPP Sophie Kiwala did the lion’s share of the work in getting the province to sign onto the project.

Kiwala, who had to be at Queen’s Park on Wednesday for a vote in the legislature, but in a statement she thanked the federal government for its contribution and congratulated all of those involved in making the funding possible.

“This day represents a milestone for our city and serves to benefit Kingston in more ways than one,” Kiwala wrote. “The new bridge will provide alternate routes for commuters, decrease traffic congestion along the Lasalle Causeway, support local businesses, and provide additional access to the east end of the city for emergency vehicles. The new bridge will also provide future opportunities for pedestrians, cyclists and other forms of active transportation with a multi-use trail.

“Bridges are about connectivity, they’re about travel, efficiency and safety. This bridge for me, and for so many in this community, is about vision,” Kiwala added. “It is about a vision for the future where we live in efficient spaces, and lead productive, safe and active lives.”

Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson had a hard time containing his excitement about the federal government’s announcement.

Paterson called it an “historic moment” and said it was the culmination of almost 60 years of debate.

“Today, the third crossing officially moves from being a distant hope and dream to a reality,” Paterson said.

“This is about more than a bridge. This is about connecting our city in a whole new way. This is about connecting the city’s north end to the city’s east end and 20 years after amalgamation this is about making us truly one city.”

Paterson said construction of the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history will provide a transportation and commuting link, a detour route for 401 traffic during emergencies, a reliable route for emergency services and a way to relieve congestion in the downtown core.

Paterson acknowledged the “vigorous and passionate debate” that led up to last June’s city council vote to move forward with the project.

There will be more opportunity for public input, Paterson said, but now that all the needed funding is in place there are no more hurdles to the construction of the bridge.

“This bridge is going to be built,” he said.

Gerard Hunt, the city’s chief administrative officer also credited the all the input that went into the third crossing discussion.

“The job at city hall by city hall staff is to build community every single day,” Hunt said. “We can only do that with the support, inclusiveness, discussion input and engagement by all the people in the community to help us build the best community as possible.”

There have been no significant changes to the project since it was approved by city council last year and Mark Van Buren, deputy commissioner of transportation and infrastructure services, said the federal funding commitment can allow the next phase of the bridge planning can now begin.

“We’ve carried the work to a good point, now, before we conclude it, we have to get our design-build team in place and finish of some of those final design elements and understand more about how the construction sequence will work,” he said.

Van Buren said council will soon be asked to hire a company to provide the design-build services and construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2019.