Cambridge picks no-frills option for walking bridge

CAMBRIDGE — A simple, nofrills steel pedestrian bridge will soon span the Grand River in Galt.

On Tuesday night, Cambridge council was faced with four overbudget design options for a 102metre walking bridge to connect the east and west sides of Galt.

It didn’t take much deliberation for councillors to pick the cheapest option on the table. A basic steel bridge came in at $400,000 over budget.

The entire project will cost $2 million.

“I think it’s a good thing for our downtown,” Coun. Frank Montero said at Tuesday’s special council meeting.

“I know there are businesses and developments happening on both sides of the river directly because of the announcement of this bridge.”

A few years ago the bridge was estimated to cost $1 million with an extra $525,000 to spruce up the walkway on the east side of the river leading up to the bridge.

The new bridge will feature a viewing deck at its midpoint that will sit on top of an old concrete pier that once hoisted a railway line at the same spot. It will be built about 400 metres south of the Main Street bridge.

Other bridge design options included features such as a weave design, an option to add programmable colour lighting to that weave and items like bike racks and benches. But the add-ons were pricey. For example, the weave design would have cost an extra $630,000. Programmable lights on that weaving steel pattern would take that number up to $1.1 million extra. The most expensive design option would have put the whole project’s price tag at $3 million. Councillors balked at the extravagances.

“I had a real turnaround on this,” Mayor Doug Craig said. “Not every structure needs to be iconic.”

Other council members were quick to pick the cheapest option, too.

“I didn’t like the weave anyway,” Monteiro said.

Council also voted against spending an extra $400,000 to paint the bridge black.

Half of the bridge falls into Coun. Jan Liggett’s ward and she said she never supported the pedestrian bridge project. She was the only councillor to vote against it.

“It disturbs me it’s so over (budget),” she said. “We’ve heard loud and clear the weave and extravagance is not what they (residents) want.”

The other half of the bridge is in Coun. Pam Wolf ’s ward and she said she has heard differently.

“In 2015 we were responding to a petition of residents who wanted this bridge.”

Liggett wasn’t the only one concerned with the project’s higher budget. Coun. Nicholas Ermeta said it was a problem but one the city cannot control.

He said many river cities have pedestrian bridges and Cambridge shouldn’t be left out.

“We are a river city and culture is important to us. We need to invest in culture.”

He suggested reaching out to private businesses to discuss naming rights as a way to curb the city’s costs.

Construction is expected to begin later this spring.