The St. David Street (Highway 6) bridge in downtown Fergus will close on Jan. 22 for replacement.
Township officials say the bridge project, expected to cost $3.5 million, will be completed by the end of October.
McLean Taylor Construction Limited of St. Marys won the contract for the bridge replacement in December (the company also replaced the Tower Street bridge in Fergus in 2013).
Work on the St. David Street bridge over the Grand River will include the replacement of the deck, girders and traffic barriers, modification of the abutments (complete with new waterproofing and paving), road approaches, drainage improvements and replacement of utilities.
The bridge “was constructed in 1968, and is nearing the end of its service life,” states a township press release.
Municipal staff members are placing detour signs “throughout the township,” officials say.
St. David Street between Queen and Bridge streets will be closed to through traffic during the replacement, as will St. Andrew Street.
Local access will be maintained from St. Andrew Street to Menzies Lane on the east side of St. David Street.
Two-way traffic will be maintained on Queen Street/Bridge Street and St. Andrew Street with lane reductions at various times.
“All downtown businesses in Fergus will remain open and accessible during the construction period,” officials say.
In 2016 the township submitted a Connecting Links application to rehabilitate the St. David Street bridge in Fergus. The application was successful, resulting in $2.28 million in provincial funding for the bridge, which was identified as one of the highest priorities in the township’s asset management plan.
