Residents are very unhappy with the June 24 removal of a Canadian National Railway bridge on the 6th Line in Eramosa.
Karen Richardson and John Shultis told council on Monday night the removal has not only created a safety concern and an inconvenience, but it also hurts the local economy and may decrease property values.
“I don’t feel that we’ve gotten clear answers from council [about it],” Richardson said. She and Shultis said residents had only 16 business hours to contact CN between the receipt of a removal notice and the actual removal of the bridge.
Shultis said residents are not interested in a foot bridge over the rail line, although that would be better than nothing. He wondered what steps the township could take to get the bridge replaced.
Originally constructed in 1916 and rebuilt in 1976 to accommodate heavier loads, the bridge was opened and closed several times in the 1990s, before being closed for good in the summer of 2007. For decades, CN and the township have argued over the bridge, with each side claiming the other should be responsible for replacement or repairs.
Shultis explained residents are concerned about access for fire, police, and ambulance personnel as well as for farm equipment.
“It’s not a matter of if, but when there will be an accident,” Shultis said of the concerns of local farmers. He added there are also concerns about the extra fuel costs now that the bridge is gone, as well as the possibility the removal will lower nearby property values.
Richardson had considered moving from the area but decided to stay and completed major upgrades to her home and property – none of which she would have done if she had known the bridge was coming out.
She noted council showed a lot of emotion in September 2007 after the township closed the bridge, in consultation with R.J. Burnside and Associates, due to immediate safety concerns. She wondered where that emotion has gone.
“The numbers [to replace it] were huge,” replied councillor Doug Breen. “Two and a half million dollars will take the wind out of your sails pretty quickly.”
Breen, who has dealt with the matter during past terms on council, said for him it feels a little like the movie Groundhog Day every time the bridge comes up.
He suggested even if the township had the money to build a new bridge, the project could be caught up for years again because the structure runs over a CN rail line.
Mayor Chris White told the delegation the township received the same removal notice from CN as residents did. He said he understands the concerns of residents, but it would make little sense for Guelph-Eramosa to take on the responsibility for the overpass and its $2.5-million price tag.
“It’s not our bridge,” White said. “We would love nothing more than having a new bridge there … but the fact is it’s not our responsibility.”
He explained the old bridge likely could not have been saved anyway, because it was in deplorable condition. But the township can look into what happens now, he added, though there may be some difficulty getting cooperation from CN.
“The railways have had incredible power and still do,” White said.
The mayor took down contact information for affected residents who were at the meeting and vowed to get some answers.
