Completion of Strandherd Armstrong Bridge pushed back one year
Posted May 3, 2013 11:26:08 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – City councillor Steve Desroches is not impressed that residents in his ward and west of the Rideau river will have to wait an extra year to use the Strandherd Armstrong bridge. It was to be completed for September 2013, but the insurance company that took over after the original builder went into receivership and Guarantee Company of North America hired replacements.
It says delays in delivery of two arches for the span and the specialized welding is pushing back completion. Desroches feels the company is shortchanging the city. “Essentially, because this is our insurer who is paying for the completion of this project at this point, they are minimizing their claim”
Desroches says this will add to the frustration for motorists in Riverside South, Barrhaven and Manotick who were counting on the bridge to alleviate rush hour traffic jams.
He tells 1310News, the city may have to follow the lead of the province. “We should look at whether we should self insure our infrastructure projects. We spend in the neighbourhood of a billion dollars a year on infrastructure”.
The Guarantee Company of North America will have to pay five thousand dollars a day in late penalties for the delay which is expected to cost it $1.8 million.
