The Conestogo River is crossed by Wellington Road 109 at four locations. The bridges at all four crossings are in an advanced state of deterioration, with some elements identified as not meeting current standards.
In 2020, we initiated a Schedule C Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Study to identify and evaluate solutions. The study considered construction staging and traffic delays when improvements are happening; potential impacts on local residences and business activity; and protection of cultural heritage, Indigenous values, and the natural environment.
Rehabilitation work on all four bridges is anticipated to begin late 2024.
Background
The bridges were constructed between 1930 and 1934 by the Department of Highways Ontario (DHO), now Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO). Wellington County took over ownership of the bridges when this section of the former Highway 9 was downloaded to the County in 1998.
In accordance with Ontario Regulation 472/10 under the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act (Act), these bridges have been inspected every two years under the direction of a professional engineer using the Ministry’s Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM).
Supporting technical components informed the decision-making process and final Study recommendations, including:
Cultural Heritage
Archaeology
Ecology
Geomorphology
Groundwater
Traffic
Structural Design
A key component of the Study was consultation with interested stakeholders, including residents and businesses, agencies, Indigenous communities and the general public. Anyone with an interest in this Study was given the opportunity to provide input and feedback.
Two Public Information Centres (PIC) were held where we presented background information, outlined problems and opportunities, reviewed construction and traffic management preference, and solicited feedback.
Frequently Asked Questions
The duration of construction will depend on many factors.
Using traditional construction methods, the replacement of all four bridges could take up to 2 to 3 years; however, accelerated construction methods could significantly reduce the traffic disruption and reduce the overall duration to as few as 3 years.
The County appreciates that the bridge replacements will come with some challenges to road users, residents and business owners. The County will consider a variety of strategies to optimize the construction staging and duration and minimize traffic impacts. For example:
Use of a temporary bridge to keep two lanes of traffic open adjacent to the construction zone for as much of the construction period as possible. The temporary bridge can be used at multiple sites in consecutive construction seasons.
Rapid bridge replacement’ techniques where the new bridge is constructed ‘offline’, while traffic is maintained on WR109, and then shifted into place during a short-term road closure/detour.
Additional traffic modeling to evaluate traffic impacts including maximum allowable queues / delays. The final traffic staging would be developed in a future detailed design phase to minimize traffic disruption and limit delays during peak time
Regardless of the strategy, the County will ensure regular and timely communication with area residents and businesses through the construction period.
A preliminary cost estimate will be generated based on the final recommended designs and construction methods developed during the Class EA study. The cost estimate will be documented in the Environmental Study Report. For the purposes of the comparing alternative solutions (rehabilitation/replacement/new road alignment), a high-level cost of approximately $12M was generated for replacement, based on current knowledge and assumptions.
The planned replacement/rehabilitation of these structures has been included in the 10-year budget as part of the asset management plan for the past 10 years. In addition, the County has recently received funding for about $4.2 million from Canada Infrastructure Programme: Rural and Northern Stream.
A future road cross-section for the bridges has been proposed with 3.5 m travel lanes and 3 m shoulders. This will be confirmed in the next phase of the Class EA study. The travel lane and shoulder width recommendations are consistent with design standards based on the posted speed, design speed and the vehicle/truck volumes.
General reconstruction of Wellington Road 109 is beyond the scope of the Class EA study. The works being planned and designed in this Class EA study involve addressing the poor condition of the existing four structures with some associated road work at the bridge approaches. There are currently no other proposed projects identified within the study limits. However, the County may undertake other improvements to WR109 in the future and the bridge replacements currently being planned do not preclude other future improvements.
We'll use a cost-conscious and efficient construction process to minimize disruption to road users. We're committed to maintaining two lanes of traffic at the most westerly bridge, given the proximity to the intersection at Highway 6.
For the remaining structures, at least one lane of traffic will be maintained at all times. Where traffic is one lane, travel in alternating directions will be controlled by with temporary traffic signals.
The traffic management plan will continue to be developed through detailed design and will be finalized by the contractor.
The County is unlikely to close WR109 for long periods of time because access needs to be maintained for residences, farm operations and business access.
Addressing the condition of the four structures is a matter of urgency for Wellington County, not only because the bridges are nearing the end of their design life but also because the County has secured federal construction funding, to be utilized by 2025.
Broader studies to look at travel demand, traffic congestion and operations at the Highway 6 intersection and in the Arthur area generally (e.g. bypass), are more complex with greater implications to socio-economic, natural and cultural environments, and would involve MTO as a co-proponent.
Therefore, it is likely that this type of study would be on a longer timeframe. MTO program priorities do not currently include short or long-term planning on Highway 6 at Arthur, although priorities are reviewed annually.
The bypass / road realignment option only resulted in a net reduction of two watercourse crossings since the realignment would require one new watercourse crossing and two of the existing crossings on WR109 would need to remain, with the bridges being replaced, for continued residential and business access.
The initial capital costs for the bypass option were substantially higher than the bridge replacements and there were no lifecycle cost savings to be realized.
If you have any questions or concerns at any time during the study, or wish to be placed on the study mailing list to receive study notices directly, please contact either of the project team members below:
Joe de Koning, P.Eng. Manager of Roads County of Wellington 74 Woolwich Street Guelph ON N1H 3T9 519.837.2601 x 2270 email
Nima Mahmoudi, P.Eng. Consultant Project Engineer WSP Canada Inc. 150 Commerce Valley Dr W Thornhill ON L3T 7Z3 289.982.4039 email