Puslinch councillors faced a packed chamber here on Oct. 21.
Those at the meeting were there to either present information regarding proposed upgrades to Niska Road and the bridge across the Speed River, or to protest the improvements.
Both the road and the bridge lay within Guelph city limits. The road, however, connects to the half-kilometre of Niska Road on the west side of the Speed River in Puslinch.
Don Kudo, deputy city engineering/manager, infrastructure services and Philip Rowe from R.J. Burnside and Associates provided councillors with a lengthy and detailed update on the City of Guelph’s Niska Road Environmental Assessment. The study area stretches from the Niska Road bridge to Downey Road.
Rowe noted the study is in phase 3, which involves looking at various design alternatives for the bridge, the road and the Downey Road intersection.
He said hundreds of public comments were received thus far. Some of the concerns include road safety, traffic volume, speed, maintaining a heritage landscape, preservation of the view, wildlife protection and continued existing use of the recreational lands.
However, Rowe agreed the main element of the project is the Bailey Bridge, a single-lane bridge over the river that was installed in 1974 as a “temporary replacement bridge.”
“Unfortunately the Bailey Bridge is really on its last legs,” Rowe said, outlining myriad problems over the last year, including eroding abutments and bridge components.
Rowe noted the bridge code indicates when a structure exceeds 400 vehicles per day a bridge needs to be built to match the road on both sides – in this case a two-lane road.
He estimated the bridge carries between 2,200 to 2,400 vehicles per day, but residents say the amount is twice that.
While a wider bridge is more costly, Rowe said the bridge should be designed to accommodate future traffic.
He noted the current preferred option is to replace the one-lane bridge with a two-lane structure. Rowe said there are various options, some of which could replicate the look of the Bailey Bridge while also creating a two-lane structure.
Councillor Matthew Bulmer said he recognizes the situation the city faces and noted he has seen several accidents at one-lane bridges.
Rowe said that while there are aspects of the site which could qualify for a cultural heritage designation, it would not change the results or the recommendations coming out of the EA.
Also mentioned was the possibility of relocating the single-lane bridge, with the first priority being to locate it within the City of Guelph or along the Speed River.
Puslinch councillors were concerned about traffic growth in the area.
Rowe said projections to 2031 show an overall increase of 30% based on growth and development in the area as well as vehicles from other areas.
Mayor Dennis Lever asked what happened to older plans to extend Stone Road to Wellington County Road 124.
Kudo said that was removed from the city’s official plan.
Lever said the long-term plan for the Hanlon Expressway also included limited interchanges, including one in the Kortright/Downey Road area.
Rowe said as of right now, the preference is to have a signalized intersection rather than a roundabout.
Lever made it clear that on the Puslinch side Niska Road is built to rural standards.
“We have no intention, or at least I certainly don’t have any intention, of any future upgrades of the road to accommodate any increase in traffic,” said Lever.
“In fact, I’m likely to say if the road saw serious degradation because of traffic, I would be more inclined to close it.”
Lever also did not want to see Pioneer Trail, a gravel road, become a conduit of traffic to a business park.
“We’re talking about a lot of cars here – and the potential for trucks,” he said.
Lever also stressed, “The bridge is not in Puslinch, it is in Guelph and it is your issue to deal with – but I am concerned about the impact to our residents.”
Several delegations, many of whom were Guelph residents, made impassioned pleas for Puslinch council to take a stand on the issue and recommend the city either keep the single-lane bridge or close the road and keep the Bailey Bridge open for pedestrian traffic.
Sandy Nichols questioned whether the city cares more about the community or traffic.
Nichols believed it was obvious that if the bridge is widened, there will be additional traffic.
She added the area, once part of the township, was annexed by the city, which stated the area would remain a protected part of the Hanlon Creek watershed.
Others shared that sentiment and voiced concern that replacing the bridge could result in further development of the area at the expense of the community, the heritage landscape and the environment.
