KAGAWONG—Due to the current condition of the Old Mill Road bridge, Billings Township council, at a special meeting May 25, gave its approval to having the bridge being replaced.
“We had (professional engineer) Mark Langille of EXP attend our meeting and explain the current state of the bridge and the two options they are recommending for council to consider,” said Mayor Bryan Barker after a special council meeting May 25. Todd Gordon, Billings municipal project manager then presented a staff report.
“On the two options we won’t know which one we will choose until a geotechnical assessment is carried out,” said Mayor Barker. He pointed out EXP has recommended the bridge be replaced using helical piles, so it would not infringe on the water, and no permits would be required.
It was explained to council active construction on the Old Mill Road waterline project has been underway since mid-April and is well ahead of schedule.
However, early in the project, one of the contractor’s trucks dropped a steering axle tire through a corner of the wooden deck on the Old Mill Road Bridge. The main structure of the bridge was not damaged in this incident. Using the bridge during the project was an understood risk.
Contractor Denis Gratton Construction Ltd. acknowledged the damage at the time and agreed to repair the damaged action, post-project. An immediate short-term solution to keep the project moving and to allow for local traffic use was to bring in thick steel plating and place this in the centre of the wooden bridge deck. Meanwhile, municipal staff consulted with the project engineers, and the contractor, regarding more substantial mitigation measures, i.e., a temporary bridge, essentially overlaid on top of the existing bridge structure. The township was provided a budgetary cost estimate on this option of between $50,000 and $60,000 with the understanding that, ultimately, the costing on the provision of the temporary bridge would be on a time and materials basis because there were considerable unknowns in implementing the temporary bridge solution.
It was further noted that the temporary solution of protecting the bridge, specifically the bridge deck, would protect a bridge that is effectively at the end of life, and a deck that is already compromised. Additionally, the project was continuing, and the steel plates were providing adequate protection for vehicles provided they stayed on-centre.
Township staff researched alternative temporary solutions which turned to consideration of replacing the bridge, even outside of the situation created by the Old Mill waterline project and began to consider whether it was technically and financially possible within a reasonable time frame (i.e., this season).
A technical proposal from EXP Services was requested due to their involvement in the waterline project, and familiarity with the situation overall.
Council was also told if the bridge project is approved, construction will occur through the summer of 2023, and it will have implications for the use of Old Mill Road. There will be some inconvenience for residents and visitors alike, but all concerned will make every effort to minimize this.
“In order to move forward with the expedited project, staff is recommending continuing to investigate the replacement of the Old Mill Road Bridge and enter into an agreement with EXP to provide engineering services for the project with an exemption to the procurement policy to remove the requirement formal quotations from three vendors,” a staff report states. “Further, staff is recommending that the NORDS funding be shifted from the Mud Creek Bridge to the Old Mill Road Bridge.”
Two estimates were provided for the Old Mill Road Bridge replacement, one for bridge replacement with helical piles and one without. Funding options for the project will depend on the outcome of the geotechnical study and approval from the Ministry of Northern Development.
“We want to expedite the project and hopefully have it done this summer. But we must get the geotechnical assessment carried out first,” said Mayor Barker. He added that the Old Mill Road Bridge, “is temporarily fixed and safe, but it is in critical need of repair.”
