One of the most popular recreation sites in the Town of Sidney is due to get a rehabilitation at a cost of about $550,000.
On Sept. 11, Sidney council approved the funds to fix up the corroding Bevan Fishing Pier, with a focus on doing underwater repairs.
The budget for repairs to the pier, which was built in two phases in 1996 and 2005, was originally pegged at $300,000. The structure of the pier is steel piles and beams, with a wooden walking surface and handrails. The steel portion of the structure is subject to corrosion, which is a natural occurrence in the marine environment.
The town initially didn’t receive a tender for the project and so it was reconfigured. After that, the town only received one tender, from Heavy Metal Marine for about $465,000.
“To complete this rehabilitation at the lowest cost and most efficiently, staff recommend that this project be completed at one time,” reads a staff report.
“To do this, an additional budget of approximately $325,000 is required to cover the construction and consulting fees. After this work is complete, staff anticipate that no additional work will be required on the Bevan Fishing Pier for five to 10 years, except for regular operations and maintenance work. The next phase of work will be initiated by a future structure inspection, and recommendations on repairs will be made based on that inspection. Although there is a possibility that prices may decrease in the future, staff are not optimistic that this will be the case for marine infrastructure work, and therefore are not recommending retendering the entire project again in 2024.”
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