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Millet fixes Eyot Creek Bridge with oilfield bridge replacement

A temporary oilfield bridge will be placed over the Eyot Creek Bridge until a completely new bridge can be constructed for the crossing.

A temporary oilfield bridge will be placed over the Eyot Creek Bridge until a completely new bridge can be constructed for the crossing. Millet town council made the decision at its Aug. 26 meeting.

CAO Teri Pelletier told councillors they had three options to choose from to deal with the bridge, following the speed and tonnage limits placed on it on Aug. 4.

Pelletier says the other two options were to leave the bridge with the limits placed on it and design a new bridge over the winter or repair the bridge now.

Repairs would not fully rebuild the bridge but it would give the structure an additional five to 10 years. An initial quote put repairs at $235,000. The money would come from the Community Sustainability Initiative (MSI) funding.

The oilfield bridge will cost approximately $65,000 and a new, fully designed bridge will still have to be designed over the winter. The temporary bridge is only 14 feet wide but increases the weight capabilities to 100 tonnes. The funds will come from the General Administrative Reserve.

Preliminary estimates on the bridge put costs at $500,000. “But we're not all that confident in that number,” said Pelletier.

During initial discussions councillors were divided on which option to choose.

Coun. Eleanor Pydde wanted to go with option three, which was repairing the bridge, as she was not sure on the capabilities of the oilfield bridge. “You'd want it so fire trucks could use it as well.”

However, councillors Pat Garrett and Doug Peel felt the oilfield bridge was the better option. “Because this wasn't budgeted for, number two might be the way to go.”