Stroy’s Bridge as it currently exists may become a memory, but council has not ruled out the idea of a pedestrian bridge there at some point in the future.
It became clear at the July 20 Puslinch Township council meeting that the existing turn-of-the-century bridge is going to be removed. Along with a roads department report, council also heard from engineer Hans Groh, both on the summary of a public meeting on the bridge and on council’s current options.
A letter to council from Gamsby and Mannerow Limited said the June 16 public meeting attracted an estimated 45 people, not including township or Gamsby and Mannerow staff. Attendance included residents from Puslinch, Guelph, Guelph-Eramosa Township and Kitchener. Puslinch residents accounted for 75% of those at the meeting.
A total of 20 comment sheets were submitted at that meeting, with an additional 11 during the commenting period following the meeting.
“In general, the majority expressed an interest in preserving some sort of pedestrian access across the river,” Groh said in his report.
One comment opposed spending tax dollars on a pedestrian bridge.
Councillor Wayne Stokley said he had been impressed by the turnout to the meeting. He, too, noted many at the meeting want to preserve a river crossing in some manner.
He questioned if that would bind council to a decision now, or if it could be something council considers later, such as placing a pedestrian bridge at that location in the township’s five year plan.
Stokley added it could also be an item brought to the Wellington County active transportation committee. He said the committee is looking for funding, and a pedestrian bridge would play an important role in linking trails from Puslinch to Guelph-Eramosa and to Cambridge.
Councillor Susan Fielding said total rehabilitation of the bridge “is out of reach,” but she agreed with keeping an eye out for grants for a pedestrian bridge to help keep people active. She said the project might be costly, “but it would be good for the community.”
Mayor Dennis Lever said, “To me, the bridge is a significant liability at this time – and needs to come out.” He agreed there may be an opportunity down the road for a pedestrian bridge, “But I’d like to see the community involved in fundraising and support. I’d be hard pressed to fund a structure over the river with tax dollars.”
Again, he did not dismiss the municipality paying a portion of the cost, “but not the major part.”
He said there are not a lot of trails running south of the bridge, and the ones that do used bridge to link with the trails in the north. Lever added the township has completed its public meeting and, “I think we can go forward with the request for proposals to remove the bridge.”
Stokley asked for provisions that the road not be removed at the end of the process.
“I’d hate to see the road taken out if it can be used in the future.”
Groh said the process required to remove the bridge is now complete. He added the situation is somewhat different if council chooses to put a new bridge in.
If council did look at a pedestrian bridge in three to five years, there would be a revised environmental assessment process. He said the area could be prepared in a manner that a pedestrian bridge could be constructed later.
Council’s decision was to proceed with the process for the removal of the bridge and have provisions for a pedestrian bridge to be constructed at a later time. The decision does not place a time frame on when that would happen.
Lever explained, “The bridge is definitely coming out; the rest is provisional on finances.”
