Clearview councillors to debate future of bridge

On Monday night, Deputy Mayor Barry Burton is putting forward a motion for the township to negotiate the transfer of the Collingwood Street Bridge in Creemore from county ownership to the township.

Burton’s motion also asks Simcoe County to include $1.3 million for the bridge’s rehabilitation.

Burton lobbied the previous council a year-and-a-half ago to reconsider its decision to support Simcoe County’s plan to replace the single-lane steel truss structure with a new two-lane bridge crossing the Mad River.

A motion put to council in December 2013 to designate the bridge as a culturally-significant heritage property was defeated.

“What we’re trying to accomplish at the end of the day is to save the bridge, which has been the mandate of the citizens of Creemore. It’s been a four-year battle,” Burton told The Sun prior to Monday’s meeting.

Burton’s motion will be preceded by several presentations on the topic of the bridge by local residents, as well as two engineers who have examined the existing structure.

The bridge was built in 1913 by Brentwood resident J.J. Drummond, and is one of the few remaining steel-riveted bridges in the province.

It is currently owned by the county, which has budgeted $2.53 million to build a new bridge this year, and incorporate the steel trusses into a new structure. A tender for bids on that project closes April 16.

According to Debbie Korolnek, general manager of engineering, planning and environment for the County of Simcoe, approximately half of the costs will come from development charges.

In an email to The Sun, Korolnek said if the bridge is merely restored, and not widened to two lanes, it would not be eligible for development charge funding.

The work on the bridge is scheduled to start at the beginning of July.

Korolnek said an analysis of the structure conducted during the Environmental Assessment concluded restoration of the bridge would not address several deficiencies, including load-bearing capacity, safety issues arising from poor sightlines at approaches and the bridge’s non-compliance with current design and safety standards.

She added a restoration of the bridge would only extend its life by approximately 30 years, after which replacement would be required.

“Full replacement will … provide a useful life of approximately 75 years,” she said.

If Burton’s motion passes Monday, he will bring a motion to the county council floor on Tuesday morning asking the county to negotiate the transfer with the township.

“We’re down to the nitty-gritty,” acknowledged Burton. “I feel confident we have support from township. Monday night will tell. I know the citizens would certainly like to see this happen. It’s really up to council to make the decision.

“I’ve put the best case forward on behalf of the residents. I feel confident we’ll come away with a win.”

Burton noted he does have a special attachment to the bridge, as he and his wife were married on the bridge several years ago.

“I certainly have an attachment to the bridge, but that said, I still think saving the bridge, saving the historic structure, protecting our heritage is still the right thing to do for Clearview.”