Chat News file photo

By Chantal Wagner

extends life up to 50 years

Construction slated for Finlay Bridge this summer

May 19, 2020 | 9:57 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Finlay Bridge will be getting a facelift this summer.

The scope of the rehabilitation project is to replace the existing asphalt deck with a concrete deck and remove the wood decking to extend its life up to 50 years.

Work will also restore the bridge bearings, miscellaneous repairs such as replacing rivets, paint touch-ups, and rail improvements.

The project is slated to begin early to mid-June 2020 and completed by this fall in October.

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There will be pedestrian access during construction but no vehicle access.

Council approved the tender recommendation unanimously during Tuesday’s council meeting.

There were only two bids and one was non-compliant.

Horseshoe Hill Construction was then awarded but was also the best-evaluated bid according to the city in the amount of $1.73 million.

The company had its roots in another company Concrete USL which went bankrupt while building the replacement westbound bridge for the Trans-Canada Highway.

Despite the previous controversy on the company, Mayor Ted Clugston says Alberta gave Horseshoe Hill a good reference, saying they have a great track record.

“We know that with the Trans-Canada Highway the contractor I think became insolvent, the previous one, and Horseshoe Hill came in and finished the job. However, I think there was some controversy at the time where many of the employees of Horseshoe were of the previous company as well so there was a little bit of community discussion as to whether these were just the same guys with a new name or those kinds of things.”

The last bridge repairs on Finlay Bridge took place in 2008. Those repairs were more extensive which included sandblasting the entire bridge, redoing the rivets, and expanding the size of the pedestrian crossings.

It was also discussed at council that traffic volume on Finlay Bridge is “significant”

Meantime, the city is proceeding with the construction projects they had on the books pre-COVID for this year.

According to Mayor Clugston, “In Medicine Hat it’s business as usual in unusual times.”