The town of Oakville will spend $23.3 million to repair a Royal Windsor Drive bridge, with the hope of extending its lifespan for another 10 to 15 years. That's an increase of more than $14 million from the original budget.
The ultimate plan is to replace the aging bridge, a project that could cost in the neighbourhood of $55 to $65 million.
Built in 1954, the bridge is a town-owned structure that crosses the GO’s Lakeshore West rail tracks, just west of Ford Drive.
In February, the town started what was intended to be a $9 million repair job of the bridge’s concrete and structural steel.
It’s since discovered that the structure’s problems are "significantly greater" than originally thought, according to a report from town staff.
More extensive concrete work, rehabilitation and replacement of steel structures and additional bridge jacking will add an extra $14 million and nine months to the job.
Jill Stephen, the town’s director of engineering, was on hand to break the bad news to town councillors at yesterday's July 9 council meeting.
"I can tell you, having been on site just last week, that the conditions from one spot on the bridge to another can vary significantly," she said.
Several town councillors questioned the wisdom of spending $23 million on a bridge due for replacement.
But Stephens said its important to have the bridge able to accommodate four lanes of traffic for the remainder of its life, while planning for a new bridge.
"We have to look at the role that this road plays in our overall transportation network, and the importance of keeping that structure open and operating without lane and load restrictions," she said.
"This work will extend the lifespan of the bridge by 10 to 15 years and allow it to operate at full capacity while we’re doing that design and construction work."
Work on a bridge replacement will kick off in 2025, with preliminary studies. Town staff estimate studies, design work and construction will take about eight years.
The existing bridge is restricted to one lane of traffic in each direction during the construction project. Completion is expected in the spring of 2025.
Correction, July 10, 5:45 p.m.: An earlier version of this story featured a photo of a different bridge. The correct photo appears at the top of this story.