Blake Ellis/The Independent

People living on Cameron Road don’t want to see a unique bridge crossing the Sydenham River closed.

But fixing it could cause financial headaches for the Municipality of Brooke-Alvinston.

Recently, BM Ross Consulting looked at the Cameron Road Bridge as part of the community’s regular bridge maintenance inspections. It recommended between $1.25 million and $2 million in repairs to extend the life of the bridge 20 to 25 years.

If the municipality chose not to do the repairs, it should be closed by 2027, the BM Ross report says.

Council met with residents July 9, and it was clear the community wants the bridge to stay open.

“This bridge is a vital part of the community as this route connects Brooke-Alvinston to Newbury and Bothwell,” said Cameron Road Resident Ian Lehrbass.

He pointed out the bridge is used by three school busses as well as by ambulances and first responders who are seeking the fastest way to Four Counties Hospital in Newbury.

Lehrbass went on to state what an inconvenience having the bridge closed would be.

The distance from his home to his farm on Cameron Road is one kilometre. If he doesn’t use the Cameron Road bridge, he would have to go around the block at a distance of just over seven kilometres. On average, he makes this trip three times a day, approximately 150 days a year.

“Closing is not an option,” said Lehrbass.

Lehrbass had sought out an estimate on the replacement of the bridge at a total cost of $1.25 million. This includes $496,000 for a new bridge to be delivered to the site, with another $496,000 for installation and $250,000 for demolition of the old bridge. He said this be for a new bridge with an estimated life span of 75 years.

“I want to make clear tonight that tonight is not to make any decisions on closure,” said Brooke-Alvinston Mayor Dave Ferguson.

Ferguson said the first thing the township has to determine is whether the bridge’s abutments are in shape. A car counter has also been placed on the bridge to determine the level of traffic uses that route on a daily basis.

All of this information will come back to council in a report at a future meeting.

“It is going to be costly, in money, and if its not, its going to be costly for you in inconvenience,” Ferguson told the concerned citizens.

“So we will take our time with this, we are not in a hurry.”

But some councillors seem to have already made up their minds.

“My opinion is we should never close that bridge down,” said Councillor Frank Nemcek.

He suggested if the fix is too expensive, weight restriction should be lowered with only cars and pick-up trucks being allowed to cross.