Elora’s downtown business community is asking Wellington County Council to take another look at a proposal to replace the iconic riveted steel Badley Bridge with a new concrete structure.
Kelly Linton, mayor of Centre Wellington Township and Wellington County Warden, likes the bridge and called it iconic, but said refurbishing it would cost more than double what it would cost to build a new concrete one.
“It’s a $6.2-million project to replace this bridge. If we were going to try and rehab the current structure, we are looking at $14.5 million,” said Linton. “That is a lot of taxpayer money, it would mean a significant tax increase if we put that on the 2019 tax bill.”
County council is moving ahead with plans to replace the Badley Bridge. The county is currently working with the province through an environmental assessment process that began in 2015.
Construction of a new bridge could start in the fall, with much of the work expected to be done in 2020.
A new concrete bridge will lack character and not reflect the charm of Elora as well as the preservation of the current one, says a petition to save the bridge, which has over 1,000 signatures so far.
Marty Van Vliet is the president of the Elora Business Improvement Area (BIA), and owner of Mermaid, a local shop up the hill on Metcalfe Street that has a pretty good view of the bridge from its front door. He said the bridge was built using riveted steel, similar to iconic structures like the Eiffel Tower and Brooklyn Bridge.
Van Vliet said the effort to save the Badley Bridge does not seem to align with the county councillors, most of whom represent areas of the county that don’t rely on tourism as much as Elora does.
He said it is worth the extra money to refurbish it and hopes it isn’t too late for county council to change its mind.
The Badley Bridge is the first thing people see as they enter Elora’s downtown, said Van Vliet. It is lit up at night, is featured on post cards and is a popular background for wedding photographers.
Van Vliet said the storefronts in Elora’s downtown are almost completely occupied, while the vacancy rate in most small towns is usually much higher.
“We have quite an interesting economic story going on (in Elora), said Van Vliet.
Elora resident Peter Hurley told GuelphToday the Badley Bridge, which was built in 1963, is a town treasure.
“It’s a bit of our heritage,” said Hurley. “There might have been a time that maybe people thought that construction was ugly, but now it’s taken on a patina of romanticism and part of the character of the town.”
Newer does not always mean better, said Hurley. He said a new concrete structure will not suit the ambiance of Elora’s downtown.
“We might as well tear the whole down down and start from scratch if it’s going to be better,” he said.
Linton said the proposed new bridge will bring its own unique character to the downtown.
The thought that it’s going to be just a concrete slab is not accurate,” he said.
Cost is not the only reason for the bridge to be replaced, said Linton. There is also a question of safety.
The design of the proposed bridge includes a widening of the lanes.
“I like the bridge, but if you’ve tried biking across it, it’s taking your life in your hands and I have done that many times,” said Linton.
As part of the environmental assessment process, a public meeting about the bridge will be held, tentatively set for this spring.
If the bridge is torn down, Linton said he would like to see some of the iron work saved for a public display.
“We will definitely do something commemorative with the bridge. There is a thought out there to take some parts and make a monument on one side,” said Linton.
Hurley said there are not too many communities that still have working iron bridges. He suggests many communities have come to regret tearing down structures that gave them character and would not like to see the same thing happen to Elora.
“We have some treasures here. We should try to save them,” he said.
