Town omits mention of last weekend's triple fatal in funding application

Posted January 22, 2013

For application purposes, they're called Bridges #12057 and #12508, located on the Adjala-Tecumseth Townline between the 9th and 11th Lines, built in the 1950s "to the standard of the day."

The bridges are identified as phase 1 of an estimated $3.75 million upgrade to that stretch of Townline, and New Tecumseth is requesting the province provide $742,500 from its Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative (MIII) capital program toward its cost. MIII has a $51 million funding envelope to "address necessary road, bridge, water and wastewater projects identified as top priorities."

In addition to asset management practices, MIII also factors in the "public health and/or safety problem arrising from the situation."

New Tecumseth's application identifies these bridges as "NOW" needs projects.

"There have been 29 accidents along this section of roadway and two at the structures between 2006 and 2011. A single fatal accident occurred along this section of roadway in 2011 in the vicinity of the north Bridge #12058," according to the problem description section. "The lack of an appropriate drainage outlet in the area allows water to stand in the roadside ditches which creates a possibilty of errant cars becoming submerged."

Ward 1 councillor Bob Marrs noted last night the report was missing a second single vehicle fatal, and suggested the description be updated to include reference to last weekend's accident that killed three local males. The vehicle they were in was discovered Sunday morning, upside down, "submerged" under standing water in the roadside ditch.

"I'm wondering if maybe that should be added to this," said Mr. Marrs. "This seemed to me certainly another unfortunate accident that occurred and it had to do a lot with those bridges with no shoulder."

Mayor Mike MacEachern explained the omission was due to "staff waiting for the OPP to confirm what was happening there. Until we have that, we're speculating what the occurrence was ... we're just awaiting the OPP comment."

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