Removing and replacing Middlebrook Bridge could cost $1.9 million

ELORA ‒ A new report indicates saving Middlebrook Bridge is unlikely while replacing it could cost an arm and a leg. 

In an information report presented to Woolwich council earlier this month, staff concluded that rehabilitation of the existing truss superstructure is not recommended due to high costs and ongoing structural issues.

The same report is coming to Centre Wellington council tonight.

This follows a delegation from members of Save Middlebrook Bridge to Centre Wellington council earlier this year asking council to "make a legacy decision" and "support safe and accessible connectivity" in the rural landscape.

"Based on the information collected during our review, we believe that the bridge has continued to deteriorate since 2017," said staff in the report. "Rehabilitation of the existing truss superstructure is not recommended from a structural and lifecycle cost perspective."

The report estimates removal without replacement would cost $615,750 while removal and replacement with a new pedestrian bridge could cost $1,946,800. 

"The bridge is continuing to degrade at a fast rate," said staff in the report. "Most notably, steel stringers that the wood deck rests on have completely failed in the end bays, causing the wood deck to lose contact with the stringer top flanges."

Middlebrook Bridge was previously slated for removal in 2028 after the previous council voted 4-2 to remove the bridge without replacement after “a lengthy deliberation.” 

The bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic since 2013 and in March 2021 was barricaded to pedestrians.

The full report is available here. 

Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.