La Nation council has approved a contractor to rehabilitate the Touchette Bridge, but the project is already $1.2 million over budget. 

At a special meeting on June 6, council approved a bid from Facca Incorporated for $5,077,090, including sales tax for the bridge rehabilitation project. The Facca bid was the lowest of four bids the municipality received. 

Rehabilitation of the Touchette Bridge, which carries Route 650 across the South Nation River near Casselman, was originally to cost $2.5 million. The bridge is 72 years old. In April 2022, engineering firm McIntosh Perry told council that because of the extremely poor condition of the bridge and additional work required on an abutment, the cost will be higher. Council also decided in April to approve a construction schedule, where the bridge will be completely closed for an entire year – from June 2022 to June 2023. 

The federal and Ontario governments have already granted a combined $2.1 million for the bridge repairs. 

Facca Incorporated is based in Ruscom Station, near Windsor, Ontario. La Nation Director of Public Works Marc Legault told council the company has a good reputation. 

“It’s a very good firm,” he said. 

On June 1, Legault met with engineers from McIntosh Perry and two recommendations were developed. The first recommendation was the one adopted by council, which suggested approving the Facca bid because of the company’s good reputation and for reviewing more expensive aspects of the project with the contractor to achieve savings along the way. 

Legault told council he does believes there is the opportunity to find those savings. 

The second option was to close the bridge due to its severely deteriorated condition and re-tender the project at a later date. Legault advised council against that option, because the repair costs could only be higher later, especially with inflation increasing. A completely new bridge would cost approximately $10 million. 

“For me, my recommendation is the first,” Legault said. 

In response to a question from Mayor Francois St-Amour, Legault said the abutment requires stabilization before the rest of the bridge may be repaired. 

Councillor Marie-Noëlle Lanthier said newly elected Member of Provincial Parliament Stéphane Sarrazin should be informed of La Nation’s infrastructure requirements and the need for financial assistance from the province to cover associated costs.  

The recommendation to approve the Facca bid to repair the Touchette bridge was approved unanimously by council.