Bridge rehab moving forward

CORNWALL – A joint bridge rehabilitation project between SDG Counties and the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville will move forward this year, and is under budget.

The Pittston Creek Bridge joining Hanesville Road in South Dundas and Pittston Road in Edwardsburgh-Cardinal, came in well under budget in a recent tendering action.

While the bridge is on lower-tier municipal roads, as the bridge crosses county boundaries, the upper tier municipalities are responsible for maintenance and ownership of the bridge.

The proposed work to the 1967-constructed bridge includes a new bridge deck, updated curbs and railings, and the parapet walls. SDG budgeted $750,000 in the 2026 budget for their half of the project.

Of the nine tenders received, Willis Kerr was awarded the contract with their bid of $977,809 plus net HST, SDG’s half of that is $488,904.50, over $250,000 under budget.

Council approved awarding the contact at their February 2 meeting.

Work will get underway beginning in the Spring with the bridge being closed during the construction period. The work is expected to be completed in 2026.

SDG Warden François Landry told council that if all this year’s construction bids came in like this, the county’s bridge report will be in good shape.

The bridge report was also at council during the February 2 meeting. That report noted that of SDG’s 184 structures (71 bridges and 113 culverts) only nine per cent had a building condition score of less than 60 per cent.

Two bridges and 15 culverts are on the list of the highest need for replacement or rehabilitation within the next five years. Another 80 per cent of structures (63 bridges and 83 culverts are within 10 years of needing major work.

The two bridges needing the most work are the Black Creek Bridge on County Road 1 south of CR 18 in South Dundas, and the Finney Creek Bridge on CR 34 north of CR 17 in South Glengarry.

Also at Counties Council…

SDG Counties passed the final tax rate and tax ratios for the 2026 budget. No changes were made to the budget, cementing a 4.48 County-level tax increase.

Council approved the revised site design proposal by EVB Engineering for the upcoming Alexandria “Street Scape” project. The Counties’ original engineering firm for the project, Jacobs Engineering, and SDG agreed to mutually terminate their contract after a protracted dispute over the scope of work for the project. The overall design will now cost $317,524 plus HST, shared 50/50 with North Glengarry Township.