THUNDER BAY – City council has given the green light to a nearly $6.5 million replacement of the Edward Street Bridge, with work expected to begin in May and last into the fall.
Councillors voted unanimously Monday to award the tender for the project to local construction company LH North Ltd., which submitted the lowest bid for the project at $6,458,418.95 (corrected).
The bid from LH North came in over $400,000 below that of its closest competitor, with three companies submitting bids. LH North also beat the city’s pre-tender estimate of $7.1 million by well over half a million dollars.
The real cost to the city, after accounting for HST rebates, is estimated at $6,029,907.86.
Asked by Coun. Brian Hamilton about the decision to replace the bridge, rather than repair it at a previously estimated $2 million, director of engineering Kayla Dixon said testing had found worse-than-expected deterioration in some sections.
“We had the ability to do just a rehabilitation, but it would mean we’d be back at that bridge probably within 10 years doing additional work,” she told councillors. “When we looked at the life cycle costing, it seemed more appropriate to do a full replacement.”
Replacing the bridge also created the opportunity to add the new active transportation path running underneath it on the south side, she said.
Work to rebuild the bridge, which runs across the Neebing River between Riverview Drive and Parkway Drive, is set to begin in May.
Enbridge is expected to begin moving a gas line that runs underneath the bridge on the week of May 3. Work on the project is expected to start in earnest on the week of May 17, concluding in October or November, said project engineer Mike Vogrig.Detours will be posted, and access will be allowed along side streets close to the bridge for local traffic only.
LH North has extensive experience with both the MTO and the City completing bridge rehabilitation and reconstruction projects, a report from Vogrig noted.
Council also approved a $237,528.26 (including HST) contract with WSP Ltd. for construction administration and inspection on the project.
The tender was awarded by a unanimous vote of council Monday.
