By Cecilia Nasmith
Northumberland County Manager of Project Engineering Denise Marshall updated the county's Public Works Committee at its February meeting on two of her department's major projects – the at-grade railroad crossing across County Road 64 in Brighton and the reconstruction of the Campbellford bridge.
The railroad crossing is a long-standing concern, dating back at least to the 2010 safety/risk assessment. The long-term goal is a grade separation, but interim measures were recommended.
All work has been co-ordinated with CNR and CPR, both of which have crossings at that site. Meetings with all parties have resulted in a conceptual design, a completed version of which should come along this year or next, followed by final approvals by all appropriate agencies.
The two closely-spaced crossings with their separate gates will be combined into a single crossing with a single set of gates (to avoid vehicles getting trapped between railroad lines) and four automated pedestrian gates.
Two grants have been received from the Transport Canada Rail Safety Improvement Program - $1,043,216 for design and construction work and $24,896 for public education and awareness.
Progress, of course, is subject to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as the work out in all parties to the project, from the municipality to the railroads involved.
A detailed design for the Campbellford bridge was prepared in 2019 that involved a variety of studies such as a topographical study, cultural heritage assessment, a range of environmental studies, and hydrological investigations – not to mention consultations with various public agencies and a public-information session (with two live question-and-answer sessions) between July 3 and Aug. 28, 2020.
“Overall, consultation has gone really well, and really added to the project,” Marshall said, spotlighting two changes that resulted – a roundabout (instead of a traffic signal) at the eastern entrance and minor changes to the profile and length of the bridge that reduced property requirements.
There is still at least one Parks Canada assessment required, and a second public information centre is planned which will offer a more finalized version of the design.
“The project is on track to be completed by 2022 and, once the design is completed, the county can apply for funding opportunities,” Marshall added, noting that there is the possibility in this project as well for unforeseen COVID-19 impacts.
Marshall also added a word about roads, where the year's major paving projects – County Road 8 in Trent Hills, sections of County Road 74 in Port Hope and County Road 20 in Brighton, as well as smaller stretches on County Road 45 in Baltimore and shoulder paving on County Road 18 in Hamilton Township.
The county is also planning microsurfacing in various locations and surface treatment of 20 km. of road throughout Northumberland.
Looking ahead, the major rehabilitation project for the Dartford bridge should be going to tender for construction in summer or fall.
