​Public information meeting May 1 for Durham Street Bridge in Walkerton

A public information meeting about the Durham Street Bridge in Walkerton, will be held Wednesday, May 1, at the Walkerton District Knights of Columbus Hall (Main Hall, located at No. 1658 Highway 9, RR5, Mildmay).

An open house will begin at 7 p.m., with a formal presentation beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The meeting is being organized by Bruce County to update residents on the current status of the project. County staff will provide details related to the proposed bridge reinforcement/rehabilitation work, including construction details, timing and traffic restrictions during construction. A Class Environmental Assessment (EA) update will also be provided, including a timeline for completion of the EA and finalization of the Class EA process.

THE PROJECT

The county initiated a Class EA process in 2021 to address deficiencies present in the Durham Street Bridge which spans the Saugeen River along Bruce County Road 4 in Walkerton (as shown on the map below).



Recent evaluations of the structure have clarified the extent of deterioration. Based on this new information, the county is considering reinforcement/rehabilitation of the crossing to address the deficiencies, rather than replacement. The work would be undertaken in 2024-25 with signalized lane restrictions that would allow a single lane of traffic to cross the bridge during completion of the repairs.

THE EA PROCESS

The planning for this project is following the environmental planning and design process set out for Schedule ‘C’ activities under the Class EA process, which is an approved process under the Environmental Assessment Act. The purpose of this process is to identify any potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed works and to plan for appropriate mitigation. This process includes consultation with the public, government review agencies, Indigenous communities and affected property owners.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

Following the May 1, meeting, input into this project will be accepted until May 19. Any comments collected in conjunction with the Class EA process will be maintained on file for use during the project and may be included in project documentation. With the exception of personal information, all comments will become part of the public record.

Contacts for the project are listed below.

Ryan Errington, engineering manager, Bruce County Transportation and Environmental Services,
Phone: 519-881-2400; E-mail: rerrington@brucecounty.on.ca
Kelly Vader, RPP, senior environmental planner, B.M. Ross and Associates, Ltd.,
Phone: 519-524-2641, Ext. 229; E-mail: kvader@bmross.net

Additional project information can be found on the Bruce County website at www.brucecounty.on.ca/WalkertonBridge.