A shifting deck that rendered the structure unsafe has prompted Woolwich to close an old steel truss bridge on Middlebrook Road near West Montrose.
The Chalmers bridge will remain closed to all traffic until repairs are done. Funding for the work, estimated at $200,000, will be discussed as part of the township’s 2014 budget deliberations.
The structure was shut down October 4, when the township became aware of the dangers, director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley told councillors meeting Tuesday night. Whether the wooden stringers failed due to normal wear-and-tear or because of overloads – as was the case with the recent closure and repairs at the covered bridge in West Montrose – has yet to be determined.
Engineers are looking at the scope of the problem right now, trying to determine what needs to be done, he added.
In response to a question from Mayor Todd Cowan, he said the bridge was slated for work in 2018, according to his department’s capital spending forecast.
“We can’t wait until 2018,” said Kennaley.
Cowan asked if fitting the project into the 2014 budget would mean other work might get pushed back, but Kennaley said that will depend on the final cost and the decisions made by council about next year’s tax levels and spending priorities, as well as any grants from senior governments.
The province is currently accepting applications for an infrastructure program that might be helpful, he noted, with a deadline of early November.
Woolwich will also be talking with neighbouring Centre Wellington Township about a cost-sharing deal, as the bridge is part of a boundary road between the two municipalities.
This is not the first closure for that bridge. In the mid-1990s, it was closed to all but foot traffic until the township decided in 2002 to spend $60,000 on repairs. That project included upgrades to the roadway, the installation of proper guiderails and height restrictors.
