A failed culvert that has closed a section of Glasgow Street in Conestogo could be replaced by the end of November. Woolwich expects to spend $254,000 on the project.
Councillors meeting Tuesday night approved a plan to replace the structure rather than repair it.
Director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley said repairing the culvert would be quicker, taking about a month, and cheaper at $128,000, but the life of the structure would only be extended about 10 years before a full replacement would be needed. Doing the entire job now would provide a culvert with a 75-year lifespan.
The township is looking to send the job out to tender as soon as possible, with the goal of reporting back to council by September 23. If a contract is awarded then, the work would get underway by the end of the month, with an eight-week timeline.
Normally, the work couldn’t be carried out at this time of year due to the impact on fish in the creek. Due to the potentially greater threat from leaving the culvert in its current condition, the township expects to gain an exemption in talks with the Grand River Conservation Authority, provincial Ministry of Natural Resources and federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Kennaley explained.
Coun. Bonnie Bryant, pointing out that the detour route now in place would be a problem in the winter months, stressed that the work needs to be done before that time.
“Yes, it will be done by winter,” Kennaley assured her.
The replacement project includes a new concrete box culvert, demolition of the existing structure, new asphalt and guide rails above and a diversion of the stream during the in-water portion of the work, which is expected to be done by the end of October.
While the construction itself will go to tender, council approved a sole-source bid for the engineering portion of the job, approving the expenditure of $20,000 for K. Smart Associates to do the design work and contract administration. The company had already been involved in looking at options for the culvert when a shifting of the west headwall was detected in May.
Perhaps under the stress of heavy rainfalls in the spring and summer, the headwall collapsed in July, sending debris into the creek and causing part of the asphalt to fall away. A stretch of Glasgow Street North between Flax Mill and Misty River drives has been closed since that time. That has been an issue for the residents of the 16 properties on Glasgow Street north of the span and 13 homes on Misty River Drive that could usually access Sawmill Road via that route.
“It’s been a strain on the village,” said Lisa MacDonald, a Conestogo resident running for council in October’s municipal election who attended the meeting.
“It’s moving ahead pretty quickly, much quicker than I thought,” she added in an interview Wednesday.
Given the current restrictions on access, the culvert needs to be replaced on an emergency basis, said Kennaley. The township will draw money from its reserve funds to pay for the unbudgeted expense, as the culvert wasn’t earmarked for replacement before 2017.
