The County of Wellington's decision to replace the Metcalfe Street Badley Bridge in Elora was not an easy one.
Since 2015, staff and Council have carefully considered both rehabilitating and replacement options. Ultimately, after significant community consultation and the evaluation of 16 alternatives and over 50 factors, including safety and cost, the decision to replace the Badley Bridge was made. The new Badley Bridge will cost approximately $7.25 million. Rehabilitating the bridge would cost tax payers more than double (approximately $14.5 million), which would be equivalent to a 7.5% tax increase.
The new Badley Bridge has been designed to showcase the character and charm of downtown Elora. The new bridge will widen traffic lanes and sidewalks, introduce bicycle lanes, and include an observation deck with spectacular views of the Grand River.
What features will the new Badley Bridge incorporate? |
The bridge will provide an open view of the Grand River and will include the following improvements:
Plans to include a commemorative feature paying homage to the bridge's current metal structure will also be introduced. |
What is the timeline for this project? |
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Construction on the Badley Bridge is scheduled to start in the Fall of 2019 with bridge piers in the Grand River. Removal of the existing bridge is planned for early 2020 and the new bridge is expected to be complete by December 2020. |
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What is the condition of the Badley Bridge? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In 2015, a structural evaluation of the Badley Bridge revealed that several major elements of the structure were in an advanced state of deterioration. Details and photos of structure conditions can be found on the Display Boards that were presented at Public Information Centres (PIC) in December 2015 and October 2016. Ongoing structural evaluations occur every two years, and the 2017 inspection continued to confirm the advanced state of deterioration. |
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Was the public consulted on this project? |
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The County has published information and held Public Information Centres (PICs) about this project since 2015. Key dates and information are included below.
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Available Documentation
- Notice of Study Commencement
- Environment Study Report Volume 1
- Environment Study Report Volume 2
- Environmental Assessment Study Design Report
- Badley Bridge Public Information Centre #1, December 3, 2015
- Badley Bridge Public Information Centre #2, October 4, 2016
- Public Information Centre Comment Sheet
- Notice of Study Completion
- MOECC Decision Letter Part II Order
- Supplemental Report Notice
- Supplementary Cultural Heritage Report
- Notice of Badley Bridge Public Information Centre #3
- Badley Bridge Public Information Centre #3, June 13, 2019
- Response to Part II Order and Design Rationale, June 28, 2019
Attachment 1 Letter to MECP, December 10, 2018
Attachment 2 Supplementary Cultural Hertiage Report
Attachment 3 MTCS comments Supplementary Cultural Heritage Report
Attachment 4 Badley Bridge June 13, 2019 PIC Documentation
Attachment 5 Badley Bridge Final Design - MECP Part II Order Compliance Letter
- Notice of Project Update