The Paudash Trail Blazers Snowmobile Club is moving forward with a bridge replacement project in Dysart et al.
According to President Jon Cumming, the club will be replacing a bridge located on a road allowance on Concession Road 9 in Harcourt. The trail runs just south of Fishtail Lake Road, parallel Elephant Lake Road, and crosses Allen Creek.
Cumming said the bridge, located on a very important trail within the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs network, has reached its end of life. For the past number of years the club has been working with Dysart staff, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry officials and contractors to determine next steps.
The project they’ve decided upon will see the complete removal of the existing 90-foot bridge, and installation of a new steel bridge, with wooden decking. Improvements will also be made to the trail on either side of the bridge, to assist with the installation.
Cumming said the $225,000 project will be funded by the local club with help from the OFSC.
At the contractors request, the new bridge will be installed next to the old bridge, before it is removed. According to Cumming, in order to ensure the new bridge is installed entirely within the road allowance a new land survey is needed.
He approached Dysart council on Oct. 13 and asked for nearly $3,000 in funding to cover the cost of the survey.
Council unanimously approved the request.
“Needless to say, you’ve got to replace it…snowmobiling is so darn important to the economy around here. We just got to find the money,” said Mayor Walt McKechnie.
The project is expected to begin in the next four weeks.
