The Cst. Rick Hopkins Memorial Bridge on Highway 6 in Mount Forest is open after being closed for construction for the last three months.
However, there is still work to be done.
On Aug. 26, the bridge was opened to traffic for the first time since being closed on May 16.
McLean-Taylor Construction Limited, who was awarded the $1.8-million contract for the work, has removed and replaced old hand rails, beams and the sidewalk.
The bridge will still be under construction until October. Workers will be sandblasting and painting the underside of the structure.
Public works director Matt Aston explained the workers will have a flagging operation where they will bring the bridge down to one lane of traffic.
“That won’t be the norm,” he added.
A tent is being constructed to protect the river from the particulates from the sand blasting operation.
Delays
The bridge was opened 10 days later than expected, which could cost the company $10,000.
“In the contract, there’s a provision for them not meeting that opening date of $1,000 a day and they were about 10 days over,” said Aston.
He added payments for certificates for August have not been finalized yet.
The township received just under $1 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments for the bridge project.
