The municipality has announced the construction schedule for the Fifth St. bridge in Chatham, which will see the bridge closed for almost six months.
According to Director of Engineering and Transportation Adam Sullo, the bridge will be closed from June 29 until December 22, to allow for a complete structural makeover.
"We'll be doing placement of what we call the superstructure, which is everything above the foundation. We'll be demolishing the existing upper portions of the bridge, making modifications to the abutments in the piers, and then building a new superstructure on top," he explains.
Sullo adds that the budget for the Fifth St. Bridge construction went nearly 10% over budget.
"The successful bidder was Looby Builders. They've been around since 1904, it's a very reputable firm," he says. "Their price was just under $7.5-million -- that's with HST. They were just about 10% higher than our estimate. We feel that that's likely due to scheduling requirement for the contract."
Sullo recommends CK residents check out the municipality's new infrastructure tool to track the bridge's construction progress.
-With files from Paul Pedro