Mayor Lou Maieron again presented his case to council to deal with the Station Road bridge and dam – with a bypass at the Aug. 13 meeting.
In July, the mayor made a verbal presentation of his idea, and on Aug. 13, it came forward in the written portion of the mayor’s report.
Maieron asked council to consider building a Station Road bypass over/adjacent to the Elora Cataract trail owned by Credit Valley Conservation.
He maintained that all other options thus far have only considered the Station Road site.
Although the road is currently open, it is only a temporary solution and the municipality is under a deadline from the province to come up with a permanent solution.
The bridge was closed for several months while the township address a road surface which was sinking and a dam structure which was eroding from within.
However, one of the main issues faced by the town is that in order to properly address the matter, work would need to be done on private property – and at this point council does not have that permission.
As a result the matter has dragged on without a permanent solution in sight, but a fast approaching deadline and potential fines if the work is not done.
Maieron suggested, “The most significant advantage of looking at this alternative option is that it breaks the inextricable link that exists between the dam and the existing road at the Station Road location.
He contended the Elora-Cataract Trail is a feasible option for a road crossing, it allows council to consider these two linked factors, a road and a dam, separately.
At that point, Maieron stated, “If a road crossing can be achieved using the trail then council can decide whether it wishes to remain in the business of owning and maintaining a dam, and possibly a pond, with all the respective associated costs.”
At present, because the dam and the road are inextricably linked no discussion on one can take place without considering the other.
Infrastructure deficiencies were identified as early as 1973, recommending either replacement or improvement regarding Station Road and the 96-year-old bridge.
At the bridge, Station Road is of sub-standard width to accommodate two-way traffic, pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
An abandoned mill-race is buried underneath the road and its structural condition is unknown.
The existing dam needs to be upgraded to current engineering standards or be decommissioned which may require municipal class environmental assessment.
Even if the road were relocated, road superintendent Larry Van Wyck has stated in the past that if the town chooses to close the road the municipality may still have to complete repairs to the dam to address liability issues.
While ownership of the dam might be considered to be in question, the town owns the road surface and part of the drainage work within that structure.
Maieron requested that a cost estimate be done regarding his Elora Cataract trail option be looked, and be comparatively costed-out in comparison to the existing Station Road proposals.
He agreed, “the CVC has control of the Elora Cataract trail and would have to agree to a road going alongside the trail.”
While Maieron suggested there is precedent in Wellington County for municipal roads and trails co-existing for short distances, in the case of Centre Wellington, a proposed realignment of Colborne Street is intended to move the roadway further from the trail system.
“The Elora Cataract Trail option possibly provides a less costly road crossing with other potential advantages. The municipality has a responsibility and obligation to provide adequate road access. The Elora Cataract Trail option may provide the town with new road access without all the financial obligations and liability of owning, maintaining and operating a dam. I would request council to instruct the road Superintendent to analyze the financial costs of this option in comparison to the other Station road options,” Maieron said.
