Report to Council

REPORT NO.: CAO-18-05

DATE: February 28, 2018

ATTACHMENT: Presentation to Elgin County Council

SUBJECT: PORT BRUCE BRIDGE COLLAPSE - CONTINUITY OF MUNICIPAL SERVICES

Recommendation: THAT Report No. CAO-18-05 entitled “Port Bruce Bridge Collapse - Continuity of Municipal Services” be received.

Background: On Friday, February 23, 2018 at about 12:30 p.m., the bridge located on Imperial Road (between Rush Creek Line and Dexter Line) in Port Bruce collapsed. At the time, a dump truck filled with aggregate material was crossing the bridge and was stranded on the collapsed bridge. The driver of the truck was uninjured and was rescued a short time later by the Malahide Fire Service. The collapse of the bridge structure results in the loss of a primary access route to the Village of Port Bruce. This in turn results in some challenges for the Township in being able to deliver some municipal services in the same manner as previously. Comments/Analysis:  

The Port Bruce Bridge is a County bridge, and thus is the responsibility of Elgin County. The Municipal Staff have consulted with County representatives regularly since the event took place. In an effort to ensure safety and security of the Port Bruce residents and to minimize disruption, the following interim steps have been taken by the Township regarding municipal services:

Road Operations The bridge collapse has resulted in the closure of Imperial Road between Rush Creek Line and Dexter Line. A detour route has been established for vehicular traffic wanting access to parts of the Village located south of the bridge. However, the route is

approximately 20 km in length and requires motorists to detour from Imperial Road at John Wise Line, westerly to Quaker Road, then south on Quaker Road to Dexter Line, then east on Dexter Line to Port Bruce. This detour route will be closely monitored by Road Staff to ensure adequate maintenance and appropriate signage is in place for the duration of the detour. In addition, it was necessary to close the Jamestown Line Bridge as the current weight restrictions would not support the additional load of traffic that would be attempting to use it as an alternate detour route.

Winter Control Operations Due to the length of the detour route, there was a concern that winter control operations may be negatively affected. As a result, the Road Staff have consulted with the Central Elgin Road Staff. It has been agreed that the Central Elgin Road Department will provide winter control services to the County Roads in Port Bruce for the remainder of this winter in order to ensure that the minimum maintenance standards can continue to be met.

Fire Services Due to the length of the detour route, Station #1 response times to Port Bruce will be delayed. As a result, the Fire Chief has consulted with the Central Elgin Fire Chief. It has been agreed that the Port Stanley Fire Station, being the closest station to Port Bruce, will initially respond to all fire calls in Port Bruce until further notice. Malahide Station # 1 will also respond to each call and take over the call once they are on scene. It takes about 3 minutes longer for Port Stanley Station to respond than it has previously taken Station #1 using the bridge for access. However, the Port Stanley response time is still significantly shorter (by about 10 minutes) than Station #1 responding via the detour route. In addition, the Fire Chief’s vehicle (Car 1) has been stationed at Mount Salem Station #1. This will enable a quicker response for medical calls to Port Bruce as the pick-up truck can respond faster than the Rescue 1 and can also transport more firefighters in one vehicle.

Garbage/Recycling Collection The garbage/recycling collection contractor has been advised of the road closure and the detour route. While there may be some delays as a result of the detour, the weekly collection of waste in Port Bruce will be maintained.

Water Services The municipal water system was not impacted by the bridge collapse. As a result, there will be no disruption in service for water customers.

Loss of Second Access to Village The bridge collapse has resulted in there now being only one access route into Port Bruce. The Mayor and Staff have expressed significant concerns and advised the County that it is the Township’s position that having only one entrance to Port Bruce is unacceptable. Recognizing that rebuilding the bridge will be a lengthy endeavor, the Township has asked the County to consider whether or not a temporary, short-term bridge could be installed to enable a second access to the Village until such time as the Port Bruce Bridge can be reconstructed. The Staff are currently working with the County representatives to explore various options.

Notifications to Other Agencies In addition, the OPP, EMS, School Bus Companies, and Canada Post have been advised of the road closure and detour. There may be some delays in agency services as a result of the length of the detour route. For more information, those agencies should be consulted directly.

County of Elgin Actions/Next Steps The Elgin County Council held a Special Meeting on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 to discuss the Port Bruce Bridge collapse and provide direction to its Staff. A summary of the actions taken by the County to date are attached in a presentation that was made to the County Council. At that Special Meeting, the County Council did support the following Staff recommendations:

(i) THAT Staff be directed to prepare a report detailing and considering all engineering and construction options including short-term and long-term solutions related to the Port Bruce Bridge and report back to Council; and

(ii) THAT Staff be directed to inform Council of preliminary engineering assessment and the dynamics of the bridge collapse once information is available; and

(iii) THAT Staff prepare a report detailing the proposed removal of the bridge structure, associated costs and safety measures and report back to Council.

Summary The safety and security of the Port Bruce residents and businesses is the primary concern of the Township. The Municipal Staff will be continuing to work with both the County representatives, the Municipality of Central Elgin, other community agencies, and neighbouring municipalities to ensure public safety and to minimize disruption of services until such time as the Port Bruce Bridge is able to be reconstructed.

Financial Implications to Budget: The financial impact of the bridge collapse to the Township is unknown at this time, however, it is anticipated that there will be some additional costs incurred in order for the Township to maintain service levels to the residents of Port Bruce.

Relationship to Cultivating Malahide: The Cultivating Malahide Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ACSP) is based upon four pillars of sustainability: Our Land, Our Economy, Our Community, and Our Government. One of the goals that support the “Our Community” Strategic Pillar relates to “Keep Our Community Safe”. Continuing to refine emergency management plans, policies, and procedures to ensure preparedness achieves this goal. Submitted by: Michelle Casavecchia-Somers, Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk