ARTHUR – Wellington North council has given staff the go-ahead to up the budget for an Arthur culvert by over $200,000.
Wellington North council approved increasing the budget for a culvert replacement on Wells Street East to $399,997 at a meeting Monday after the project's budget was found to be $207,217 short of the lowest qualified tender bid.
To be allocated to the 2025 capital budget, the total project cost is $558,216 including tax
When Coun. Steve McCabe asked why the price has increased significantly from what was budgeted, senior project manager Tammy Stevenson said a hydrology study performed after the initial budget estimate determined the existing culvert had to be upsized to a larger concrete box culvert which was not budgeted for.
"With a large section of Arthur draining into this ditch, upsizing the box culvert ultimately impacts our underground utilities and infrastructure so the work had increased from what the initial budget estimate was," said Stevenson.
Council previously allocated $317,000 for the Wells Street culvert replacement and $34,000 for the ditch clean out.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
