Owners of a local tourist hotspot say the District of Squamish's poor bridge maintenance timing may make for some angry brides.
This month municipal staff informed Sunwolf owner Jake Freese that the Cheakamus River Bridge was slated for resurfacing at the beginning of August, in the midst of the outdoor adventure companys busiest time of year. The businesss Fergies Café and riverside cabins, which sit along the Cheakamus River beside the bridge, are set to host a number of weddings, Freese said. With little forewarning of the construction, hes getting ready to deal with upset brides.
Frankly, if this work goes ahead in Squamish, I am not sure what we are going to tell these people, he said told council at a special business meeting on Tuesday (July 23).
Twenty-five per cent of Sunwolf's business takes place in August. The company is rated TripAdvisor's No. 1 place to visit in Squamish because of its tranquil location, co-owner Jess Freese said. Neither party is against the project, but both requested the construction timeframe be moved.
That's easier said than done, said Matt Simmons, the district's capital projects manager. The $426,570 worth of work needs to be completed while the weather is good or officials can expect a larger bill, he said. Forty-eight per cent of the bridge's deck is delaminated and there's been minimal maintenance on the 30-year-old structure, he said. Engineers may find more work that needs fixing once the upgrades begin, Simmons noted.
I think we need a window of time contingency on this as well.
The construction will have a huge impact on Sunwolf's business, Coun. Patricia Heintzman said. Staff need to communicate better with local companies to ensure the municipality doesn't get itself in such situations, she said.
Perhaps we could have some sort of policy come forward in terms of adequate notice, she said to staff.
Council passed a motion to award a $373,175 contract to Mutual Construction Ltd. and directed stakeholders to work on a schedule that best meets Sunwolf's needs. Construction is slated to begin on Thursday, Aug. 1. It's anticipated to continue until Oct. 11, with alternating single-lane traffic maintained 24 hours a day, according to a staff report.
