By Andrew de Souza

City needs $27 million in bridge repairs

Jun 21, 2011 | 6:49 AM

The city needs to come up with a plan to raise more than $27 million in order to repair and maintain the bridges throughout the city limits over the next few years.

On Monday, the city’s executive committee was given a report that looked at a recent bridge assessment conducted in the city.

It showed that over the over the next 12 years, until 2024, the city will need to spend $27.97 million dollars on capital repairs, as well as several tens of thousands more on annual maintenance.

The city has eight bridges within its limits and two retaining walls that play a structural role in the bride system.

According the report the bridges for the most part are in good condition, but are all experiencing varying degrees of decay and corrosion.

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City Manager Robert Cotterill said the report actually came back as more positive than was originally expected, since it was the first report in a number of years.

He said in particular there were fears that the Central Avenue viaduct would have to be closed but that turned out not to be the case.

On Monday, the executive committee recommended that a strategy be made to figure out the how to deal with such a large potential cost.

Cotterill said that was one of the reasons a tax increase was introduced for 2011.

“When council increased the (tax levy) budget this year, it allowed us to put a reserve away for projects like the bridges,” he said. “We anticipate that we’ll use that funding to complete that work.”

Cotterill however noted that the extra money generated by the tax increase still wouldn’t cover the full costs.

“We’re going to have to decide if we’re going to do it all at once or over a couple years.”

He said the administration would recommend repairs in a priority.

“If it has the impact that it would be extending the life of the structure, then we will be recommending that,” he said

Looking to the province for help

Not only did the committee ask for a budget plan, it also told the city’s administration to keep fighting the have Second Avenue placed under the authority of the province.

Currently, the city is responsible for maintaining the street and the Diefenbaker Bridge.

If the province adds the bridge to its inventory, it would mean about $17 million of the repairs recommended in the report would become the responsibility of the province.

adesouza@panow.com