BARRHEAD - County of Barrhead councillors authorized the municipality to sign the final agreements with two landowners to purchase two small pieces of land during their Feb. 18 meeting, allowing the municipality to proceed with a bridge replacement project later this year.
The total cost of the properties, 0.4014 acres each, is $2,000 split evenly between the landowners.
The bridge on Range Road 44, south of Township Road 621, near Misty Ridge Ski Hill, spans a large culvert, which was also scheduled for replacement in 2025 and was constructed in 1971. Its replacement is included in the 2025 Capital Plan.
Public works manager Travis Wierenga said the municipality gave the structure a low rating advisories in 2003, 2008,2008, 2023 and 2024 due to poor conditions.
The bulk of the $465,000 project budget funding comes from the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP).
The province created STIP to help municipalities solve their infrastructure deficit, boost the economy, and create jobs as part of its response to the coronavirus. The program allows municipalities to receive roughly 75 per cent of the funding for approved infrastructure projects.
However, Wierenga said the project hasn't gone out to tender yet, so the project's true cost is unknown.
Engineering work has indicated that extra right of way is required on both sides of the road to accommodate the culvert replacement.
"For these new culverts, we always like to have them longer so we have better slopes at the end of the road, making it safer for traffic," he said. "It is also nice to have the [county-owned] extra right of way and not private land when we have to go down and maintain the culverts."
Wierenga said under the county's policy, approved rates for land acquisition for right of ways is $2,000 per acre.
"What we proposed to the landowners was a $1,000 lump sum just to make it easier," he said.
Deputy reeve Marvin Schatz asked if there would be any issues paying the landowners above the rate stated in their policy.
County manager Debbie Oyarzun said no.
"Once we get out there, it could be 0.45 of an acre," she said. "We won't know until they start to measure it, so it is a lump sum value that gives us some wiggle room.".
Wierenga agreed but said in the future council might want to change the rate in the policy.
"I'm working on [a similar] project on the south end of the county, and both landowners are not happy with the same lump sum payment for even less land," he said.
Reeve Doug Drozd said he was surprised to hear that, saying the land was unfarmable.
"It's underwater. You can't touch it," he said. "It is money for nothing."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
