A single-lane design to replace the Big Prairie Bridge will be presented at a public meeting this Thursday, Mountain View County council voted last week after a community rep weighed in on the question.Council had considered opting for a two-lane (eight-metre) replacement structure after learning that the cost would be less than originally thought ñ about $240,000 more, according to a preliminary engineering report, instead of double the $1.3-million cost for a one-lane (5.5-metre) bridge.The Big Prairie community would welcome a two-lane structure, which would be safer and more convenient for heavy equipment crossing the span over the Little Red Deer River, Dave Street, member of a three-person committee, told council Wednesday."But if it was going to cause any delay in construction, the community would be less supportive," Street said."They don't want to wait another year for a two-lane structure."The community had earlier endorsed the one-lane design, with the project to be completed late this year, Street pointed out."The cost was reasonable and I thought we were being reasonable by requesting a one-lane bridge, no bigger, no smaller" than the structure that was destroyed by fire in October 2009, he said.Asked by Div. 7 Coun. Al Kemmere whether a two-lane design would mean a short or long delay, infrastructure manager Ryan Morrison said: "If we get direction for two lanes it puts us only two to three weeks behind schedule. We can make that up and get (the reconstruction) going this year."Councillors, however, were wary of risking longer delays, since the community had already endorsed the one-lane design.As well, Div. 1 Coun. Kevin Good noted that the distance to an alternate crossing for extra-wide vehicles was not onerous and Div. 5 Coun. Bob Orr expressed some skepticism about the projected cost for road alignment if the bridge width was expanded."The extra cost for two lanes is just a little bit shaky," Orr said."I'd like to see a one-lane bridge go in quickly," Reeve Paddy Munro said.Kemmere's motion to proceed with a one-lane design, take it to the community this Thursday, and include it in the 2011 budget, carried unanimously.Last year, the county negotiated a 50-50 cost-sharing agreement with the province for a single-lane replacement structure.Thursday's open house will be held at the Big Prairie Community Hall and starts at 7 p.m.
