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HomeNewsChippewa Creek remediation and bridge replacement starting soon

Chippewa Creek remediation and bridge replacement starting soon

Remediation work begins on Tuesday on a portion of Chippewa Creek at Oak St and a new pedestrian bridge to reestablish the Kinsmen Trail link across the creek.

“The benefits to the residents of North Bay are two-fold; the channel work will repair streambank erosion and help alleviate upstream flood hazards. The new pedestrian bridge will provide a significant enhancement to the City’s active transportation network,” said Dave Mendicino, Chair of the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA).

The NBMCA Board awarded the $763,000 project to CSL Group Ltd. Construction was expected to begin last fall, but was rescheduled to this year. 

It is expected to begin on August 3rd and be completed by late fall 2021.

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Pedestrians will be redirected to Main St. until construction is completed.

An old ONTC railway bridge, as well as the existing closed pedestrian bridge, will be removed as part of the work. 

The new 28m long prefabricated steel bridge with a wooden deck will accommodate the widened creek channel and utilities in the area.

Officials say the need for the creek repairs was identified in a 2015 erosion control study for Chippewa Creek, with the Oak St. section tagged as the top priority.  

They say reoccurring flooding and excessive erosion were causing instability of the banks and channels, with stone abutments becoming unstable. 

“The old concrete abutments will be replaced with a new armor stone wall on one side.  The other side of the creek will be regraded to create a wider creek channel incorporating principles of natural channel design including native shrub plantings and a bankfull bench to help reestablish riparian habitat areas,” states a release from the NBMCA.  “Shoreline vegetation will help shore up the streambanks and create natural habitat. The project will also help alleviate upstream flooding hazards and slightly reduce the flood plain in the area.”

The costs of the original Chippewa Creek erosion study, the environmental assessment and the construction work are shared between the NBMCA, the City of North Bay, and the Province of Ontario.

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