Dear Editor:
This letter is a follow up to one that appeared in the April 7, 2021 Wellington Advertiser. In that letter I expressed my concern over the closure and likely demolition of the Middlebrook Place bridge across the Grand River on Weisenberg Road.
Since that time a group of concerned citizens have organized in order to try and save this important part of our infrastructure and heritage. This group has formed Facebook page under “Save Middlebrook Bridge” and are welcoming the public to join in support of this effort.
As expressed on many fronts, this bridge is of significant value to the public for the important recreational and heritage value, and even for general transportation purposes as all municipalities need to consider and enhance active transportation opportunities more thoroughly in their master plans.
In order to understand the practical considerations Woolwich Township was able to provide the relevant (publicly available) information related to the engineering analysis and heritage study for this bridge. That engineering analysis evaluated the bridge for vehicular and pedestrian transportation and determined the amount of rehabilitation and cost would be significant.
This exact challenge has been faced in many communities across Ontario and around the world and has in many cases resulted in successful preservation. One example very close is Bruce County, where their rail-trail network includes many preserved bridges, some funded with tax money and others with corporate sponsorship.
The Cultural Heritage Evaluation prepared in 2017 determined this bridge to have “cultural heritage value and it is a rare surviving single-lane steel Pratt camelback through truss bridge – one of four remaining in the Region of Waterloo”. In my opinion these landmarks are valuable reminders of the early days of our community and should be preserved for future generations … once they’re gone they’re gone!
Please consider joining this group to help preserve a valuable asset in our community. As residents, we need to influence what our community values and preserves the most for now and for future generations.
Mark Walker,
Elora