CHATHAM, ONT. -- A $14 million contract to rehabilitate the Third Street Bridge over the Thames River in Chatham is expected to be awarded on Monday night.
A report before Chatham-Kent council recommends the tender be given to Toronto Zenith Contracting Limited of Concord Ontario.
The bridge was built in 1961 and sees roughly 14,000 vehicles cross each day.
The report says that bridge has seen several temporary repairs made over the last few decades, most recently in August 2018.
“Reading the report it sounds like they’re going to effectively replace the entire bridge but keep some of the bones as they say,” Councillor Michael Bondy says.
The project is similar to work that took place several years ago on the Fifth Street Bridge, noting there are only 2 downtown bridge crossings the Thames River, he says.
“This is kind of a big deal, it’s more than just a bridge,” Bondy says. “It’s a big inconvenience. It really affects traffic flow in the core because of the restrictions on one bridge being closed.”
Bondy worries what impact will be placed on downtown businesses already contending with the COVID-19 pandemic, and still recovering from the most recent closure of the Fifth Street Bridge.
“On time completion would be really important,” he says. “I think that is the lesson learned from the last time, because we deal with this. Everybody has to. The bridge is, it’s been 60 years or something so it’s necessary, we get it. But, if they say it’s going to be finished in November, please be finished in November.”
An inspection in 2020, revealed deterioration in the steel girders, the concrete deck and piers, along with deteriorated and non-code compliant barriers.
It also identified a number of conditional issues that needed to be addressed in order to maintain public safety, including non-functioning mechanical and electrical equipment that previously allowed the bridge to be open for large marine traffic.
The tender is worth $14,006,474.30 (including HST) for the work associated with contract.
Bondy believes work will begin weather permitting, shortly after the contract is awarded.
He tells CTV News there is an interim completion date set in November, with full completion listed in June 2022. Bondy hopes there won’t be any delays to the project’s completion.
The bridge will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic for the duration of the project and a detour will be in place.
The total current project costs will be funded from the Bridge Lifecycle Reserve, which includes funds under the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Federal Transfers of Federal Gas Tax Funding Agreement.
