Guelph-Eramosa council has approved a 2013 budget amendment that will allow the township to rehabilitate a bridge on Mill Road, west of Jones Baseline, sooner than originally anticipated.
On May 21 acting public works manager Rod McClure presented a report to council outlining the need to move up the bridge work and explaining the financial details of the move.
McClure noted that an April 9 report from R.J. Burnside and Associates, the township’s engineering consultant, “recommended the immediate rehabilitation of the Mill Road bridge.”
Since that time, the township’s strategic planning committee has discussed whether the municipality should close the bridge or keep it partially open during the rehabilitation.
McClure explained the former option would mean closing Mill Road, at Watson Road and Jones Baseline, for about six weeks and at a cost of about $214,265.
The latter would facilitate one lane of traffic, closing the road only during the waterproofing and paving process. McClure noted this option is expected to result in a nine-week rehabilitation period, at a cost of about $261,029 – meaning a difference of $46,764 between the two options.
McClure recommended closing the bridge and suggested the cost could be covered by delaying a $117,500 project on another bridge – as well as an associated transfer from bridge reserves – and instead use that money for the Mill Road bridge project.
He also suggested taking the remainder of the $ $214,265 cost for the Mill Road project from bridge reserves, leaving that reserve account with a balance of $78,334.
Amendment required
The moves, McClure explained, would require a budget amendment but would also ensure the Mill Road bridge project “does not impact the overall amount to be raised from taxation or the 2013 residential tax rate.”
Council passed a resolution authorizing the proposed budget amendment for the rehabilitation of the Mill Road bridge.
McClure told the Advertiser on June 3 that the tenders for the Mill Road bridge are expected to go out soon.
He said the township wants the bridge work to be completed this summer.
