The Municipality of Grey Highlands will replace a bridge near Feversham with two new culverts.
At its meeting on Oct. 16, Grey Highlands council approved a plan to replace a bridge located at River Road and Concession 10 with two new steel culverts.
The bridge, which is just outside of Feversham, needs significant repair work. Municipal staff and engineers recommended spending $686,620 to replace the structure with new culverts.
The existing bridge structure will be removed and two new 3.0 metre diameter corrugated culverts that are 18 metres long will be installed in place of the bridge.
The project will be included in the 2025 budget for council’s consideration.
A staff report on the issue presented council with four potential options to fix the bridge ranging from a low price of $642,708 to as high as $956,670.
Council was supportive of the project moving forward, however, Mayor Paul McQueen asked if it was the best long-term solution to install steel culverts to replace the bridge. McQueen asked why plastic or polymer-coated culverts weren't suggested.
“It would be money well spent 50 years from now,” he said.
Chris Cornfield, the municipality’s director of transportation and public spaces, said those were options that could be considered when the final details of the project are formulated.
“We can look at those costs. We’ll have both options there,” he said.
McQueen also asked how long the road would be closed to traffic for the project. Staff and engineers said the work would take six to eight weeks and would start after July 1.
Coun. Dan Wickens said the project is necessary.
“(The bridge) is in bad shape and one of these days it’s going to fall into the crick,” he said.
