Kincardine Council has approved the tender for the Huron Terrace bridge reconstruction — but it’s going to cost more than expected.
The current boom of infrastructure work is the reason for the higher price tag.
The 3.2 million dollar bridge is now going to cost over 3.4 million instead.
Council has accepted the lowest tender for that price, submitted by Owen King Limited.
The increased costs are in the sewer and water work.
The busy bridge — located at Kincardine’s harbour — is currently owned by Bruce County.
The County will cover 60 percent of the reconstruction costs, with Kincardine footing the other 40 percent of the bill.
Once the reconstruction is complete, the municipality will take ownership of the bridge.
Mayor Larry Kraemer says the original cost estimates are based on last year’s market, and a lot has changed since then.
He says with all of the federal and provincial infrastructure spending, more contractors are busy — and that’s led to higher prices.
Kraemer says holding off on replacing the Huron Terrace bridge wouldn’t make sense, because changes in the market are unlikely, and the existing old bridge does need to be replaced.
Work is set to begin this spring.
Huron Terrace will be closed at the harbour for up to a year for the project.