Hard to believe, but it won’t be much longer until drivers are cruising across the 10th Street Bridge in Owen Sound again.
The city’s Director of Public Works and Engineering Dennis Kefalas says the project continues to progress and remains on track to meet the timeline of re-opening the new bridge — which will be dedicated as Gitche Namewikwedong Bridge — to traffic by Christmas 2020.
Kefalas says the concrete deck is complete and constructions crews are progressing on site work such as curbs and the installation of water mains.
Asphalt paving is expected to begin by the first week of December.
As for the budget, Kefalas says it remains in similar shape since slight overages were reported to city council in the summer.
Council received a report in August the 10th Street Bridge replacement project is running slightly over budget — about $256,000 — due to contaminated soil and infrastructure obstructions discovered during the demolition.
“It’s nothing major in terms of the overall cost of the project,” Kefalas notes.
City council approved an $8.68-million tender for the construction of a new bridge in July 2019. The entire project is expected to cost around $9.3-million when factoring in other expenses such as consulting and engineering costs, according to a past Bayshore Broadcasting report.
The project must be complete by March 31, 2021 for the city to maintain eligibility for a $3-million grant from the Ontario government’s Connecting Links program.
The 10th Street Bridge closed in October 2019 for the commencement of the replacement project. The old bridge was built in 1911 and served as the main connecting link across the Sydenham River for provincial highways 6, 10, 21 and 26.
It was tabbed for replacement due to its deteriorating condition.