Demolition of Waterford’s decommissioned agricultural silos located at Nichol Street West and McCool Street will begin later this month and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
Starting Monday, September 18, the following sections of the Waterford Heritage Trail located near the silo area will be closed, with fencing and signage in place:
- Upper trail from the south gate on Black Bridge to the section of trail where the upper and lower trails connect
- Pedestrian stairs that connect the upper trail and lower trail
Trail users travelling north or south can continue to use the lower trail to detour/bypass the closed section; signage will be in place to direct trail users to the lower trail. Black Bridge will remain open, and signage will be placed at the upper trail access at Mechanic Street to notify southbound trail users to detour to the lower trail.
The parking lot at the end of Nichol Street West will also be closed; alternate parking is available at the lower trail entrance on Concession 8 (Mechanic Street), on Thompson Road, and Alice Street in downtown Waterford. Nichol Street West will be closed at McCool Street, however access to businesses along McCool Street, including the storage units, warehouses, and school bus depot, will not be impacted. Artwork on the silos, completed by local children, has been captured for future use, still to be determined.
Residents and trail users are urged to respect the barriers and signage.
The silo demolition will use a high-reach excavator with a concrete pulverizer attachment. This demolition method can allow the resulting granular concrete material to be recycled for other purposes. No explosives of any kind will be used during the demolition, and dust inhibitors will be in place to reduce the impact on air quality.
The silos, built approximately 50 years ago to serve as an agricultural supply depot, have been decommissioned for several years. As determined by the Province of Ontario, the silos must be removed by 2024.
