Major detours will be required for residents who use Yearley Bridge, as District Council recently approved the demolition and reconstruction of the bridge.
Muskoka District Council awarded a contract to HugoMB Contracting Inc. to demolish and rebuild the Yearley Bridge. The total cost of the contract will exceed $1.37 million dollars and road closure will result in up to 40-minute detours for some residents.
The Yearley Road Bridge is located on Muskoka Road 31 in Huntsville. The bridge was designated as requiring a full replacement due to its age and condition. The replacement will continue to be a single lane roadway as it was determined that low traffic volumes did not require lane expansion.
District Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works James Steele spoke before council about the condition of the bridge and the HugoMB contract.
“This bridge has reached the end of its useful life and it is imperative for us to replace it as soon as we can. It is still safe today but certainly needs to be replaced,” Steele said.
Steele highlighted that the bridge closure will create significant detours for some residents.
“It would be about 40 minutes if someone was on the south side of the bridge and needed to get to the north side. Other detours will vary in length,” Steele said.
Municipal documents state that a temporary detour bridge was considered but rejected due to excessive costs and potential impacts on the local environment. Steele stated that construction on the bridge will take place seven days a week with long work days in order to have the bridge completed as soon as possible. Steel also stated that the new construction would utilize existing bridge structures to limit additional impact to the local environment.
The bridge construction is expected to begin on July 3 with a targeted completion date of October 31. There will be a full road closure between July 10 and October 20.
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