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Purple Grove bridge replacement on hold |
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Ken Logtenberg, engineer with B.M. Ross and Associates, explains the Huron-Kinloss bridge report |
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The Purple Grove bridge is too expensive to replace so the project is on hold for now. That was the decision at Huron-Kinloss council last night (March 15), after the bridge needs study was outlined by Ken Logtenberg, engineer with B.M. Ross and Associates. Logtenberg said the report identifies a total of $2.5-million in major work to replace and repair bridges in the township over the next five to 10 years. The high-priority ones, he said, include the following:
Logtenberg also identified about $60,000 in maintenance or minor repairs that should be done over the next two to three years. These include: replacing the caulking in bridge joints, putting rip-rap in front of the footings, and reinforcing cracked corrugated steel pipestructures. Some high-priority areas are on Concession 6 and Grey Ox Avenue. Councillor Anne Eadie asked about one of the bridges on Lake Range Road which receives a lot of traffic. Logtenberg has recommended that bridge be waterproofed and paved, and the deck cleared of debris, at a cost of $23,000. During discussion of the Purple Grove Bridge, Logtenberg explained that the bridge was built in the 1930s, as a single span with a high opening. It is a single-lane bridge with tube railing, and a load-limit of 16 tonnes. He said that the load-limit should be re-evaluated in the next two years to determine if it should be reduced to 12 tonnes. The north abutment of the bridge is cracked, he said, and there is rust on the beams, which is why it is recommended for replacement. The new bridge would be a nine-metre span with steel beams and a concrete deck, said Logtenberg. It would be two lanes wide, with concrete barrier walls and a single handrail on each side. The road would be widened and there would be guide rails on each approach. He said the original cost of $350,000 could be reduced by about $42,000 if council decided not to widen the road and put guide rails on the approaches to the bridge. "Are guide rails required on a bridge that is on a sideroad?" asked Eadie.
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"It's MTO (Ontario transportation ministry) guidelines," said Logtenberg, "but the design could show the guide rails there, to be installed by others, so the township could do it later when the money is available." Eadie said a lot of farmers don't want the guide rails there at all because they interfere with farm equipment. "Once the bridge were the full two lanes wide, there would be lots of room for farm equipment to travel along it," said Logtenberg. Councillor Jim Hanna said that in two years, the bridge would likely be reduced to a 12-tonne load-limit and then in another few years, reduced again so it would have to be closed to traffic. "Why not put in culverts at a cheaper price?" asked councillor Don Murray. Logtenberg said that would not be approved by the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority. Plus, the flood frequency over that road would increase the maintenance costs. It would require three corrugated steel pipe culverts to replace that bridge, so the end result is no cheaper, he added. Eadie said the price is way too costly to replace a bridge on a sideroad, especially when it doesn't have a high volume of traffic. Council decided that the Purple Grove Bridge project could be put on hold for now, while council concentrates on other high-priority bridges, such as the one on the 2nd concession, for now. Logtenberg confirmed that any waterproofing and "betterment" of the bridge decks is considered capital works and can be paid for through the gas tax revenue received by the township. Council agreed to also concentrate on maintenance of several bridges in the municipality. |
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