To swing or not to swing – that’s the question facing municipal officials with repairs looming for the Base Line Bridge.
A public meeting is being held next Wednesday to get input from area residents.
Chris Thibert, Director of Engineering and Transportation Services says there are definite cost savings in having a stationary span, but there’s a substantial drawback as well.
“The cost benefit is quite substantial, not only up front with the work we’re planning to do in the near future, but including operational,” Thibert says. “The greatest con of course is that we’d be taking away tall boat traffic essentially on the Sydenham River. We operated that bridge (to allow boat traffic through) 49 times last year.”
The public meeting will be held at the Wallaceburg municipal building on Wednesday from 5:30 until 6:30, and the contract for repairs to be discussed at council on March 2nd.