THUNDER BAY - Repairs to the Marina Park pedestrian overpass could run up to $500,000 over budget, according to new details released by the city. It's a significant hike for a project initially expected to cost $1.3 million.
Worse-than-expected corrosion to the bridge's steel components were already expected to delay the reinstallation of the overpass, which was removed for badly-needed repairs in early August.
It's now expected to be back in place in late summer of 2021, from an expected Oct. 2020 deadline.
"It's not the best situation," said City of Thunder Bay project engineer Mike Vogrig in early October. "The things that could go wrong did go wrong."
A report from the city's infrastructure and engineering department, set to be presented to city council Nov. 2, recommends allocating an additional $500,000 for "extra work and contract administration" in the city's 2021 capital budget.
The work is being performed by Tom Jones Corp., which also built the structure in 1994.
That's likely to worsen anxiety expressed by councillors over the city's limited ability to fund its growing infrastructure deficit.
