Residents Request To Save Coteau Street East Bridge Denied By Council

“This has come as a shock to the residents in South Hill East,” resident Doug Reichel told Council.

Reichel appeared before Council to request the reconsideration of the plans to demolish the Couteau Street East Bridge.

Erected in 1908 the bridge spans the CNR spur line. The bridge has been up for demolition or rehabilitation since 2009 with the final funding - $150,000 shared cost with CNR - for the demolition of the six metre wide bridge given as part of the 2021 Budget.

Reichel appeared before Council in hoes of saving the structure by converting it into a pedestrian and bicycle crossing bridge. The bridge has structural concerns which limit its vehicle weight load carrying capacity and is presently rated for4 tonne loads.

“We know how important this bridge is for hundreds of pedestrians, runners, cyclists every month of the year,” he said.

Reichel said it was additionally surprising that the last public consultation about the bridge was in 2009 when the residents voted in favour of converting the bridge into a pedestrian only structure.

SEE RELATED - Bridge demolition discussed in 2019

He pointed out how at that time the recommendation had been made to close off the bridge to vehicle traffic within two years and making it a pedestrian only bridge but nothing had been done following that.

The cost in 2009 was estimated to be $20,000 for the supply of steel bollards on either side of the structure to prevent vehicle traffic use.

The report went on to state there would been an additional cost to demolish the structure in approximately 40 years after the traffic bollards were installed and the structure converted to pedestrian use only.

“Why was the bridge safe for 40 years (in 2011) and now it is not,” Reichel asked.

He went on to state the manner on how the bridge was “silently” slated for demolition despite the 2009 demolition decision pointed to the City needing a ward system.

“We need localized geographic representation by councillors who live and speak for each section of the city. I can only assume most of you have no idea how important this bridge is to many people.”

Reichel said Council should re-think the demolition of the bridge because of three reasons - it was a historic bridge structurally simple and strong, the bridge is used by hundreds of people on a monthly basis and all bridges are about connections which are important.

“This is about gracious connection and largesse,” he said going on to state how Moose Jaw is a city of bridges and how the connections they speak of (the Peace Valley, the Mental Health Valley) would make a better motto than the present City motto. The present City motto - created by former Mayor Fraser Tolmie and others - is Notorious.

“Coteau Street East Bridge eases and invites access to fresh air and sanity for thousands of people,” he said.

The bridge gave safe access to the Wakamow Valley and after its demolition there would be some adults and children who would climb down the embankment to a dangerous area. Other s would be stuck using the ”notorious” forever rutted and graveled other roadway to access the Wakamow Valley.

He went on to state that if the bridge had not been there at the present time a progressive city council would have looked at erecting a pedestrian only bridge at the same location the present day Coteau Street East Bridge is right now.

“This bridge is here. We have it and we don’t need to take it down,” Reichel said.

He went on to mention the 2017 report the demolition of the bridge would be approximately $650,000 to as high as $890,000 but the 2021 estimate is $150,000.

“I must be reading stuff wrong. I am not sure what to make of this cost gap. But might I state money spent on removing a historic bridge that is so used by hundreds of people every month is not only a step backwards for connecting…it is a colossal waste of our hard earned money spent in taxes.”

Area resident Randy Feiser said he and his dog used the bridge thrice daily and encouraged Council to “go and look at this bridge. There were some recommendations made in 2012 that were never done.”

He went on to state that the demolition decision had to be made by Council but he did not think “it is coming from Council. So I would like Council to come and look at this bridge and see how it services the southeast corner and go from there.”

“I just want some common sense here.”

ENGINEER SPEAKS

City engineer Bevan Harlton was asked about the present state of the Coteau Street East Bridge which he described as poor and conversion to a pedestrian only bridge was not a simple matter.

“What we learn from this report it is not as simple as converting this bridge from one use to another and…the cost to convert to a pedestrian bridge is abut $220,000, the cost to do a major upgrade is about $1.562 million,” Harlton said. The $220,000 would still mean the bridge would have to be demolished in 2025. And investing $1.5 million would mean the bridge would need to be demolished in 2035, he said.

“The structural condition is the bridge is past its service life and shouldn’t be functioning as a structure,” he said.

COUNCIL DISCUSSION

Councillor Jamey Logan said the report had some alarming points and “we need to look at the safety…there are things in there that are pretty alarming. It is not a band-aid fix to fix this thing.”

Councillor Heather Eby said as a South Hill resident she used the bridge but the decision need to be based upon facts and not sentimental reasons.

“Our job here to ensure all of the infrastructure is safe for everyone not just whether we like it or not,” Councillor Eby said.

She said it would do no good if she looked at the bridge’s condition as she is not an expert and “I have to rely on the experts to tell us if these infrastructure pieces are not meeting code or are behind their service life.”

Councillor Eby said the issue had not been simply passed through at budget time but it was dealt with and discussed at that time.

“I don’t like to see these bridges go either but it was a decision.”

Councillor Crystal Froese said although she had passed the budget, and voted in favour of the bridge’s demolition, but the pandemic had changed things and the use of the Wakamow Valley.

“It is not at such an emergent and critical point. This bridge is still open. There are cars still crossing. It is not even like the 7th Avenue (SW) Bridge where we closed it traffic,” Councillor Froese said.

“Kind of the common sense here and extending the life is closing it to traffic. To cars and allowing it to be a pedestrian bridge. And re-visiting this back into our budget (discussions),” she said.

Councillor Froese mentioned the example of the 7th Avenue SW Bridge and how the City had found a cheaper wy to extend its life as a reaso not to immediatley move to demolish the Coteau Street East Bridge.

“I don’t necessarily think we have explored this as long as we should and could,” she said, adding the neighbourhood had changed since the last public consultation in 2009 and perhaps there needed to be more and new consultations with area residents.

Acting Mayor Dawn Luhning said the engineering report stated the Coteau Street Bridge had reached the end of its service life.

“These are difficult decisions for Council to make and we have infrastructure priorities all over the city. And when we get a report abut a bridge that is utilized very little and I am going to say these are very difficult decisions…there is nothing further in this report that we should change our minds,” Acting Mayor Luhning said.

Councillor Froese opposed the motion made by Acting Mayor Luhning to receive and file the citizens’ request which would effectively green light the demolition.

“To demolish this bridge at this time to me is just not common sense,” Councillor Froese said. “So we are going to knock down something that is still usable.”

“To demolish something is not an insignificant thing. Because once it is gone it is gone.”

Councillor Blanc supported not demolishing the bridge.

Councillor Logan asked about the potential of CN cost sharing the demolition - something the City is in active negotiations with the railroad on - and said kicking the issue down the road might mean the railroad does not cost share the demolition.

It also needs to be noted the line in question is now used by a short-line railroad and not operated by CN any longer.

“My counterparts say there is no cost to leave it as it is and that is not true. If you read the report it says in there that this bridge should be inspected monthly…and somebody has to pay t have that done,” Councillor Logan said.

Councillor Kim Robinson said he supported the demolition given the condition and age of the bridge but that the City could look at erecting a new pedestrian only bridge in the future.

In a 4 - 2 vote with Councillors Blanc and Froese opposed the issue was received and filed meaning the demolition can proceed.

No timeline was released as to when the demolition might take place.

COUNCIL