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Pedestrian Bridge 72 replacement

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Consultation has concluded

Pedestrian Bridge 72 is part of the busy pedestrian trail system that crosses Forwell Creek and is located at the end of Forwell Creek Road. The bridge consists of a three-cell corrugated steel pipe arch culvert with gabion basket headwalls and retaining walls at both ends. In the spring of 2021, the bridge experienced a structural failure, when the gabion basket headwall on the steep south embankment fell into the creek, crushing the ends of all three culvert cells and constricting flow. Initially, the trail was structurally stable and could safely be kept open, but by fall 2021 continued erosion and undermining of the trail base created an unsafe situation for users and the trail was closed.

In June 2022, the Waterloo City Council approved report IPPW2022-038 (begins page 85) and the award of construction of the bridge replacement to Greenspace Construction Inc. Construction is expected to begin July 2022 and be completed by December 2022.

What to expect during construction

In order to carry out this work, it will be necessary to temporarily close a section of the Forwell Trail between Forwell Creek Road and Dearborn Boulevard. A trail detour route has been established and is posted at either end of the closed section of trail. Construction will not require any road closures and will not prevent access to any private properties. For additional information, please refer to Construction Details.

This map depicts the expected construction area, you can download a pdf version by clicking the image or visiting the Documents section.

Map indicating the section of Forwell Trail between Forwell Creek Road and Dearborn Boulevard that will be closed for construction for the replacement of the pedestrian bridge over Forwell Creek.

Pedestrian Bridge 72 is part of the busy pedestrian trail system that crosses Forwell Creek and is located at the end of Forwell Creek Road. The bridge consists of a three-cell corrugated steel pipe arch culvert with gabion basket headwalls and retaining walls at both ends. In the spring of 2021, the bridge experienced a structural failure, when the gabion basket headwall on the steep south embankment fell into the creek, crushing the ends of all three culvert cells and constricting flow. Initially, the trail was structurally stable and could safely be kept open, but by fall 2021 continued erosion and undermining of the trail base created an unsafe situation for users and the trail was closed.

In June 2022, the Waterloo City Council approved report IPPW2022-038 (begins page 85) and the award of construction of the bridge replacement to Greenspace Construction Inc. Construction is expected to begin July 2022 and be completed by December 2022.

What to expect during construction

In order to carry out this work, it will be necessary to temporarily close a section of the Forwell Trail between Forwell Creek Road and Dearborn Boulevard. A trail detour route has been established and is posted at either end of the closed section of trail. Construction will not require any road closures and will not prevent access to any private properties. For additional information, please refer to Construction Details.

This map depicts the expected construction area, you can download a pdf version by clicking the image or visiting the Documents section.

Map indicating the section of Forwell Trail between Forwell Creek Road and Dearborn Boulevard that will be closed for construction for the replacement of the pedestrian bridge over Forwell Creek.

Consultation has concluded

  • Construction update April 2023

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    With the spring weather finally here, the City’s contractor is preparing to return to site to finish the surface asphalt paving and landscape restoration. Forwell Trail over the bridge will be closed again for approximately one week during the first or second week of May, weather dependent, for this work to be done.

    If you have any questions, please contact the Project Team.

  • Construction update January 2023

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    The construction at the Pedestrian Bridge 72 replacement project has largely wrapped up and this connector for the Forwell Trail is now open, and will be maintained throughout the winter. For now, construction fencing remains in place for safety along the trail until the new handrails are installed in the spring. Final landscape restoration and some asphalt repairs will also be completed in the spring, but this work will not require the trail to be closed for an extended period of time again.

    Looking across the asphalt surface of the completed bridge across Forwell Creek with construction safety fencing still in place Image of completed bridge across Forwell Creek with construction safety fencing still in place

  • Construction details

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    Who will be doing the work?

    A private contractor, Greenspace Construction Inc., selected through the city’s public tender process will do this work.

    When will the work begin and how long will it take?

    Weather permitting, construction will begin on or about July 11, 2022, and should be complete by the end of December 2022.

    How will the reconstruction affect me?

    In order to carry out this work, it will be necessary to temporarily close a section of the Forwell Trail between Forwell Creek Road and Dearborn Boulevard. A trail detour route has been established and is posted at either end of the closed section of trail. Construction will not require any road closures and will not prevent access to any private properties.

    Will sanitary sewer and water services be interrupted?

    As part of this project, a section of watermain between Forwell Creek Road and Dearborn Boulevard will be replaced. Sewer and water service will be maintained throughout the duration of construction; however, residents at 55 Blue Springs Drive may experience short interruptions during the installation of a new gate valve. This work is scheduled to take place overnight, and should be completed over the span of a few hours. During this period, potable water will be supplied to the building by a reputable water hauler using water from a fill station within the City of Waterloo. Advance notification will be provided where possible before any planned service interruption.

    How can I provide comments?

    Comments can be emailed, or phoned in to the project contacts listed here, or submitted through our Comments section.

    Jessica Brown, M.Eng., P.Eng.
    Senior Project Engineer – Design and Construction
    Engineering Services, Integrated Planning & Public Works
    Waterloo City Centre
    100 Regina Street South
    Waterloo, ON N2J 4A8
    Phone: 519-866-1550 Ext. 78256
    Email: jessica.brown@waterloo.ca

    Bishoy Anees
    Greenspace Construction Inc.
    50 Carroll St
    Toronto, Ontario M4M 3G3
    Phone: 416-262-1078
    Email: bishoy@greenspacegroup.ca

    Matt Scott, P.Eng.
    GM BluePlan Engineering Limited
    650 Woodlawn Road West, Block C, Unit 2
    Guelph, ON N1K 1B8
    Phone: 519-824-8150 ext. 1283
    Email: matt.scott@gmblueplan.ca