March 13, 2025

West Grey Council approves 10-year bridge prioritization and financing strategy

The Municipality of West Grey has approved a comprehensive 10-Year Bridge Prioritization and Financing Strategy designed to provide a strategic framework for ensuring essential investments towards the replacement and repair of bridges throughout the Municipality.

Within the 876 square kilometre geography of West Grey, the Municipality is responsible for maintaining 114 bridges and culverts, each spanning over three metres. The majority of these structures are over 75 years old and are nearing the end of their functional lifespan. The 10-Year Bridge Prioritization and Financing Strategy has been developed to guide investments in bridge infrastructure across West Grey. This Strategy aims to ensure regional connectivity, support emergency access for residents, facilitate market access for local farmers, and maintain the financial viability of businesses that depend on these roads and bridges for market access.

The Prioritization and Financing Strategy aims to address critical infrastructure needs by committing substantial financial resources over the next decade. Key components of the Strategy include:

• Committing an estimated one percent tax levy equivalent, (approximately $140,000 per year), from annual assessment growth specifically for bridge replacements and repairs.
• Continuing to commit base tax levy funding for bridges, maintaining the 2025 budget level capital investment of $807,000.
• Allocating 41 percent of the annual Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) formula-based grant funding (estimated at $450,000 annually), towards bridge replacement and repairs for the next ten years.

The approved Strategy is based on a prioritized list of structures requiring replacement or repair. This list, which estimates an expenditure of $19.1 million for 10 critical structures over the next 10 years, will be reviewed and updated every two years in accordance with the Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM) reporting. The financing component of the Strategy will be reviewed annually during budget deliberations to evaluate progress and address the most urgent needs. All options for bridge replacements will be considered during the pre-engineering phases, including assessing the type of structure to be installed.

"The 10-Year Bridge Prioritization and Financing Strategy represents a forward-thinking approach to maintaining the long-term safety, functionality, and durability of our Municipality's bridges," stated West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles. "This Strategy demonstrates Council’s commitment to investing in infrastructure that will safeguard and enhance the transportation network for our residents for the foreseeable future. With this comprehensive plan in place, the Municipality is prepared to make significant strides in addressing its long-term bridge needs.”

 

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