The cost of replacing a footbridge at Inglis Falls has gone through the roof for the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority.

CA Directors were shocked to learn at their regular meeting last Wednesday afternoon that the cost of replacing a footbridge across the Sydenham River at Inglis Falls was being forecasted at more than twice what was originally budgeted.

Land Management Coordinator Chris Hachey presented the Board of Directors with the bad news. The CA budgeted $30,000 for the actual construction portion of the bridge replacement. The new bridge has been purchased within the original budgeted amount.

Tenders for the construction work needed to put in the new bridge were much higher than expected. One company that bid on the project tendered at $89,000. Another company submitted a price of $74,000. Only one company actually responded to the tender call, but CA staff sought quotes from another company for the work in order to have a bid comparison.

Hachey told the Board that discussions with one company reduced the projected cost to just under $70,000 - an amount still more than twice what was budgeted.

Hachey explained that the location of the footbridge was an issue in the tendering process. Any company doing the work needed to be able access both sides of the river to pour concrete and then needed to get a crane to the site to remove the old bridge that is being replaced.

"The site is quite delicate. It has created a real obstacle," said Hachey, who noted that after September 15 rubber tired vehicles couldn't cross the Sydenham River.

CA staff recommended that the project be re-tendered in the fall with an eye towards getting the work completed done late next spring. Staff hoped the costs of the work would decrease if contractors were planning for next year, instead of trying to fit the project in at the end of this year's construction season.

Directors were left with a choice to make: re-tender and hope for a lower price for next year, or go ahead with the prices already received and budget for the extra costs in the 2009 budget. CA staff said there was no issue with already purchased new bridge being stored for the winter by the manufacturer.

Director Mark Wunderlich said he couldn't support spending 2009's money before going through the budget process.

"We don't know where we're heading with the economy. I say we shut this down until we're into the budget process for 2009," he said.

Director Ross Heron said re-tendering the project later in the year presented a problem.

"We have no guarantee of the price going down. It's a gamble. We have the option of going ahead now and spending the money, running a deficit this year and have it as part of our budget next year," he said.

Other Directors wondered why the project came in at double the cost CA engineers predicted.
Hachey explained that working on a riverbank made the job difficult for contractors.

"It's a very sensitive area to work in. There are a lot of constraints. We just can't look at it as a regular bridge job," he said.

The Board of Directors supported a staff recommendation to re-tender the project this year in order to have the bridge replaced next spring.