Rebuilding a bridge in Hoyle is costing more than expected.
LEA Consulting Ltd.'s is being given an extra $84,850 for its design and administration contract for the project to tear down and rebuild the bridge over the Porcupine River on Frederick House Lake Road in Hoyle. Timmins council approved the extra cost at its Aug. 13 meeting.
When the company was awarded the contract in April 2023, it was for $331,939.
SEE: Work to replace Hoyle bridge driving forward
While there was a $50,000 contingency allowance for the project, it has been eaten up already, with the additional geotechnical investigation and updated legal survey requiring $19,050 more than the contingency.
Because the project started early, a city staff report says that there is also an extra 14 weeks for the engineering and contract support. That has a price tag of $65,800.
Staff says the overage will be funded from savings in other projects.
The Hoyle bridge has been closed since November 2021. It's meant there's only one crossing over the river in that area. Traffic has been rerouted down Carrigan Road.
Its closure has led to some heated community meetings over the years.
In July 2022, over 100 people packed into the Hoyle Community Centre for the one-on-one information session that turned into a heated group discussion where residents drove home concerns about emergency access, safety issues and the city's communication with affected residents.
The following month, concerned residents hoping to hear an update on the bridge filled council chambers. At one point during that meeting, a local man stormed into the room with two rocks in hand to highlight safety concerns.
The new bridge being built by Looby Builders is a two-lane, 48-metre single-span bridge.
The goal is to open the bridge in November 2024.
