Replacing four Wellington North bridges could cause traffic issues

WELLINGTON NORTH – Replacing four deteriorating bridges along Wellington Road 109 could cause significant traffic issues starting in 2025. 

Addressing Wellington North council during a county council update earlier this month, Mayor Andy Lennox said the county is budgeting to replace bridges B109132, C109123, B109133 and B109134 east of Arthur on Wellington Road 109 because they're in an advanced state of deterioration and nearing the end of their service life. 

Construction is "likely" to start next year, said Lennox. 

But a new report from county-retained environmental consulting company WSP Canada said any load restrictions or closures caused by bridge construction would be "extremely disruptive" and traffic management is anticipated to be a "significant construction issue" as Wellington Road 109 is used for local and regional east-west transportation and goods movements. 

Traffic delay impacts over potentially a multi-year construction horizon could also be a challenge said the report. 

In 2018, the average annual daily traffic on Wellington Road 109 was 8,060 vehicles per day. This number is expected to increase to 8570 vehicles per day by 2025.

Truck traffic accounts for about 17 per cent of the daily traffic volumes.

To address the anticipated traffic issues, Lennox said the county plans to keep one lane of traffic open at all times and further discussions will take place about timing.  

While the original plan was to complete one bridge per year over four years, Lennox said the county is considering doing two bridges at once. 

The project's overall cost is approximately $15,900,000 and doesn't include the cost of property or utility relocation. 

According to the report, an Enbridge gas pipe and overhead Bell utility line on Wellington Road 109 will be maintained and protected during construction.

A hydro pole on the west side of one of the bridges will be relocated to accommodate the construction staging. 

Originally built in the 1930s, the county plans to document each bridge with measured drawings, a thorough photographic record, a written description and recommendations for elements worthy of salvage before demolition. 

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