Vaughan weighing costs of dated bridge

YorkRegion.com
Jan. 14, 2016
By Adam Martin-Robbins

The city is taking a second look at what to do about a crumbling, century old bridge that provides access to just one home, but is in desperate need of repair at a projected cost of at least $800,000.

Councillors voted Monday to spend as much as $34,500 to have AECOM re-assess a range of options previously considered for dealing with the deteriorating single-lane, concrete arch bridge on Humber Bridge Trail, a dead-end road off Hwy. 27 near Major Mackenzie Drive with three houses on it.

Two of the houses are on the west side of the Humber River, so those residents don’t need the bridge, built in 1914, to access their properties, but it is needed to access the home on the east side of the river.

AECOM undertook an environmental assessment a few years ago to determine the best course of action for the city to take.

At the time, a slew of options were explored ranging from extensive rehabilitation of the existing bridge, at an estimated cost of just more than $800,000, to building a new concrete bow arch bridge, the most expensive option, at a cost of about $1.7 million.

The contractor recommended rehabilitation, as it was the least expensive option and preserves the bridge’s heritage value.

But as was standard practice at the time, AECOM’s recommendation only considered the initial construction costs, not full lifecycle costs, such as operating expenses, maintenance expenses, and potential disposal costs, said Jack Graziosi, Vaughan’s director of infrastructure delivery.

Conducting a more extensive cost analysis, including those factors, is the new standard for the city, so staff have recommended going back and taking another look at the options to determine if rehabilitation is still the best route.

“Because these types of assets last for decades - 50 to 100 years - those future costs can be significant in terms of decision making,” Graziosi said.

“It’s not that we have an intention of changing the recommendation, but we want to ensure that the investments that we recommend to council, on behalf of citizens, are comprehensive and look at that big picture,” he added.

Asked if the city considered purchasing the property served by the bridge, Graziosi said:

“We have had conversations with the resident and the resident has indicated they have no intention of selling their property. Certainly, if the homeowner had intentions of selling, that was an option we might consider.”

He added that expropriation isn’t an option in this case because the city doesn’t require the property for another use.

Graziosi also said that as part of this project, the city will look at creating an access point to a cycling and pedestrian trail being planned for the west side of the Humber River.

“This is a perfect opportunity to take a piece of infrastructure that’s being planned and incorporate some other elements, so it’s not just serving one purpose for one resident, but it can become a piece of infrastructure that provides access to other residents to other natural features within the city,” he said.

Maple/Kleinburg Councillor Marilyn Iafrate, who represents the area, said while it’s a costly undertaking the city has “no choice” but to provide access to the home.

“At the end of the day, the bridge has to be built (or repaired),” she said. “We’re legally bound to do.”