The Coteau Street East bridge is in the worst condition of all 15 bridges in Moose Jaw and should be demolished, city administration says.
The bridge was constructed between 1908 and 1913 and has reached the end of its life, which is why city hall included its demolition in the 2021 budget for $150,000, Bevan Harlton, director of engineering services, told city council during its Sept. 27 regular meeting.
The municipality plans to share demolition costs with Canadian National Railway (CNR), while the department is working with a consultant on the tear-down.
While a group of residents urged council to preserve the bridge for pedestrian use, it’s not that simple to convert the structure to that purpose, Harlton said. It would cost $220,000 to perform minor maintenance until the bridge’s demolition in 2025, while major renovations would cost $1.56 million, and the bridge would still be torn down in 2035.
Engineering reports
Stantec Engineering completed a report in 2017 that found an average daily vehicle count of 50. Meanwhile, Associated Engineering completed a condition survey report in 2020 and determined the bridge was beyond its service life, continued to decline in condition and had fewer replacement, refurbishment and demolition options.
Four factors limit the bridge’s future use, Harlton continued. These include structural issues; the bridge has a four-tonne limit; the residential road connecting from the west limits geometric changes; and the structure does not meet Transport Canada’s rail clearance guidelines.
“We are at a point where the bridge is still at a four-tonne load, but the next steps are, can it support its own dead load?” Harlton added.
Council discussion
Coun. Jamey Logan was alarmed to see the structural issues and thought safety was the most important issue. He didn’t think they should push this issue into the future since the costs would likely rise and CN Rail might refuse to cost-share.
“It’s not a Band-Aid fix to repair this thing … ,” he added. “I am not convinced it needs to stand any longer.”
Coun. Heather Eby acknowledged that she used the bridge regularly but pointed out that, similar to the Seventh Avenue Southwest bridge situation, council’s job is to ensure infrastructure is safe for everyone. That is why she relied on the experts to tell her whether infrastructure meets code or needs to be torn down.
Contrary to what some have said, council discussed this issue during the 2021 budget talks, she continued, based on notes she took of their conversation. This should have been flagged then if people had problems with it.
“I don’t like to see these bridges go either, but this is not the time to be changing this decision,” Eby added.
Coun. Crystal Froese admitted that she voted in favour of the 2021 budget but pointed out that the pandemic has increased activity in the valley and how much residents use the pathways.
She noted that other bridges in Moose Jaw used to be for vehicles but are now for pedestrians, such as the Cree bridge near Wellesley Park. Meanwhile, council found an inexpensive solution to repair and reopen the Seventh Avenue Southwest bridge.
“The common-sense approach is rather than spending money to demolish the bridge, we should extend its life by closing it to cars and give it to pedestrians and revisit it a budget time … ,” she added. “I don’t think we’ve explored this as far as we should and could.”
Coun. Doug Blanc agreed, saying it would be cheaper to maintain the bridge for pedestrians and close it to vehicles.
The report states “very clearly” that the bridge is in poor condition and is nearly finished, said Acting Mayor Dawn Luhning. Thus, she didn’t think there was anything in Harlton’s report to convince her to change her mind.
Council then voted 4-2 to proceed with the demolition as scheduled in the budget. Froese and Blanc were opposed.
The next regular council meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 12.
