The Township Of North Glengarry Is Moving Ahead With Repairs To McPhee Bridge After Inspections Found Significant Deterioration In The Structure.
Council Approved A Contract Worth $368,816, Plus Applicable Taxes, During Its September 14 Meeting. The Work Will Be Carried Out By Willis Kerr Contracting, Which Submitted The Lowest Complete And Compliant Bid.
McPhee Bridge Is Located On McPhee Road, About 1.1 Kilometres North Of Glen Robertson Road. The Single-Lane Bridge Was Built In 2010 And Features A 14.6-Metre Timber Deck Supported By Steel Girders.
A Detailed Inspection In 2025 Found Several Problems With The Wooden Deck, Including Splitting, Rot, Splintering And Areas Where The Timber Had Been Crushed. Inspectors Also Found Extensive Deterioration And Deformation At The South End Of The Bridge.
The Township’s Bridge Assessment Work In 2026, Completed With The United Counties Of Stormont, Dundas And Glengarry, Identified McPhee Bridge As A Structure That Needed Prompt Attention.
The Rehabilitation Will Include A New Timber Deck, New Guardrails And Crash Barriers At The Bridge Approaches, Along With Reinforcement Of The Retaining Walls On Both Sides.
Gabion Baskets — Wire Containers Filled With Rock — Will Be Used To Help Stabilize The Areas Around The Bridge And Reduce Further Erosion And Slumping.
A Previous Inspection In 2023 Had Also Recommended Replacing The Guide Rail End Treatments.
North Glengarry Director Of Public Works Timothy Wright Described The Project As More Of A Maintenance Job Than The Larger Bridge Rehabilitations The Township Has Taken On In Recent Years.
Wright Pointed To Major Work Completed On The Bishop Street, Dominion Street And Centre Street Bridges Since 2024, Saying The Township Is Now Shifting Its Focus Toward Maintaining Existing Structures And Extending Their Service Life.
McPhee Bridge Is Located On A Seasonal Road That Is Not Plowed During The Winter. Wright Said The Road Also Sees Considerable Use From Agricultural Equipment.
Councillor Michael Madden Said The Inspection Photos Helped Show How Much Deterioration Had Taken Place, Even Though Some Of It Wasn’t Obvious To People Crossing The Bridge.
Madden Said He Had Travelled Across The Bridge By Motorcycle And Was Surprised By The Condition Of The Timber And The Areas Around The Bridge Approaches.
He Also Noted Slumping Rock And Water Infiltration Around The Structure. He Said The Planned Reinforcement Work Should Help Protect The Bridge And Extend Its Useful Life.
Township Staff Said The Willis Kerr Contract Was Considered To Be Competitively Priced And Met All Of The Requirements Of The Tender.
The Project Will Be Paid For Through North Glengarry’s Capital Budget. Council Approved The Contract Unanimously.
The Township Also Credited The United Counties Of SDG, Including Manager Of Capital Works – Bridges Matthew Brownell, For Its Assistance With The Municipality’s Bridge Rehabilitation Program.