Central Avenue bridge replacement will cost about $2M more than forecast

— The replacement of the Central Avenue bridge in Fort Erie will cost about $2 million more than originally forecast.

A recent report to regional politicians noted the larger budget for the project that was initially projected to cost $14.5 million.

Of the new $16.79 million total, the region would pay about $15.34 million — about $1.5 million more than originally predicted.

The Town of Fort Erie, which originally expected to pay $650,000, would be on the hook for $1.4 million because of expanded water main work it wanted done.

In addition to the additional town work, the higher costs are due to a variety of reasons, from having to remove thousands of tonnes more of contaminated soil than expected, delays due to relocation of Bell Canada utilities, and numerous change orders issued during the construction.

Construction issues and the additional work requested by the town also means the full closure of the 63-year-old bridge will be about twice as long as originally planned.

It’s now expected the bridge will be closed for about four weeks and the project completed by about September, several months later than the originally forecasted completion of July.

“We need to look at how we can hold some of theses consultants accountable,” Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop said.

Regional public works commissioner Ron Tripp said staff is looking at whether any of the delays and additional costs, including utility locations provided in the design, are the responsibility of firms hired by the region.