Bridge 21-P on Eighth Line West of the former Township of Pilkington between Wellington Road 18 and Middlebrook Road has re-opened with the completion of a new bridge over Carrol Creek.
This is the first project completed as part of the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) and the two per cent capital levy funding for the township’s bridge reconstruction/replacement program.
In 2013, a structural assessment of the bridge indicated that the bridge deck required replacement. It was determined that the best long-term solution was to have the entire superstructure replaced.
The project included demolition of the existing concrete deck and girders, the construction of new steel girders, concrete deck, barrier walls and railing. These replacement components are all up to current Canadian Bridge Design Code standards and will provide a new service life of an estimated 75 years for the structure, the township says.
The continuation of the 2% dedicated capital levy initiated in 2015 will provide a means to address bridge infrastructure requirements over the coming years, officials say.
To the average residential property assessed at $318,300, this represents a total cost of approximately $1,150 over a 10-year period. This will raise an additional $2.5 million annually after 10 years to provide a starting point for financial stability in Centre Wellington, officials say.
Staff have identified a prioritized list of roads and bridges to be rebuilt over the next 10 years, including the current closed bridges and those that are at risk of closure in the short to medium term.
“Our infrastructure is deteriorating faster than we can rebuild,” said Colin Baker, managing director of infrastructure services.
“With the 2% dedicated capital levy, we now have the capability of rebuilding 21 bridges by 2025, seven of those during this term of council.”
Baker added “We currently have 11 closed bridges in the township with another 13 bridges considered at risk of either closure or future load restrictions. We are doing our best to find solutions to the challenges which face us, and with the re-opening of bridge 21-P today, we have confirmation that we are on the right track.”
