ELORA – The barricades came down last fall and the sculpture went up last week.
So, the official unveiling of a plaque and historical storyboard at the new Badley Bridge on May 20 might have seemed anti-climactic to some.
But to Wellington County Warden Kelly Linton, roads committee chair Andy Lennox and county engineer Don Kudo, the event marked the end of an $8-million project that has been in the works since 2015 and under construction for about 18 months.
The small event was livestreamed on YouTube and a handful of passersby stopped to watch.
Kudo said the county wanted to have the unveiling during National Public Works Week, as the project straddles the county’s roads and engineering departments and exemplifies the important work of the public works department.
Lennox said he is pleased to see the bridge project come in “on time and on budget, despite the challenges of COVID.”
He thanked the project team.
As a life-long Salem resident, Linton recalled crossing the Badley Bridge “hundreds of times,” on his bike as a boy, and was pleased to note that with the new bridge, “I don’t feel it swaying under me.”
Mission accomplished – With the unveiling of historic plaques and a sculpture, the Badley Bridge reconstruction project is officially complete.
Photo by Kelly Waterhouse
Linton talked about the careful discussion about rehabilitating versus reconstructing the bridge.
And while not everyone was happy with the decision to build new, there are now open views of the Grand River, wider vehicle lanes, sidewalks, lighting and an expanded observation deck.
“This is an exciting day for me,” Linton said.
Unveiling – Wellington County roads committee chair Andy Lennox, left, and Warden Kelly Linton unveil the historical storyboard near the entrance to the new Badley Bridge at a small event on May 20.
The sculpture, at the southwest corner of the bridge, acts as a gateway into Elora and Linton said he is pleased that a community group offered to make the decision as to what the sculpture should look like.
Walter Gibson and Jo-Anne Harder designed the concept and the fabrication was done by Summit Laser and Manufacturing. WSP Canada did the engineering design and Looby Builders (Dublin) Ltd. did the construction.
A proper bronze plaque will replace the temporary plaque that’s currently in place.
The storyboard, entitled “Crossing the Grand”, offers a brief history of the bridge and the importance of bridges to the growth of the village. There’s a photo of the old through truss bridge, with it’s steel beams and braces, that was built in the 1950s.
It’s easy to see the sculpture is a section of the old bridge.
“People will love it or hate it,” said Linton. “Personally, I love it.”
Victor Dockrell, who lives on Metcalfe street and has kept a watchful eye on the bridge’s construction, said he doesn’t love the sculpture.
But he loves the sidewalk and bike lane on the bridge, which make it much easier for him to cross the bridge on his scooter.
And, Dockrell noted, when the sculpture is lit up at night, it takes on a different look when viewed from the bridge’s observation deck.
“It looks a bit like a maple leaf,” he said, then laughed. “Maybe it will grow on me.”
