$1.4M tender approved to upgrade Mitchell’s Bay pier area

In an effort to help prevent future flooding in the Mitchell’s Bay pier area, Chatham-Kent council approved a $1.4-million tender to rehabilitate the retaining wall and laneway.

Council recently approved the staff recommendation as part of the consent agenda, with Murray Mills Excavating & Trucking Ltd., of Sarnia, set to perform the work.

A total of $20,000 for additional consulting services will go to Dillon Consulting Ltd.

The municipality owns and is responsible for the maintenance of the pier and the approaching Main Street laneway on the shore of Lake St. Clair.

It’s not exactly known when the pier was built, but it’s estimated to have been around 1928, according to a staff report.

“The existing retaining wall structure located along the south edge of the laneway/parking area is exhibiting signs of potential rotation, causing deterioration of the asphalt surface adjacent to the wall,” the report says.

A condition assessment and underwater inspection of the site was conducted by Dillon Consulting and sub-consultant Watech Services Inc., in January and November 2021.

“While no immediate safety concerns were noted, the inspections found a number of conditional issues that support the replacement of the existing retaining wall structure,” the report says.

Following meetings with the Mitchell’s Bay Area Association, local ratepayers and councilors, the engineering services of Dillon Consulting were acquired to complete the design for a new retaining wall, overall improvements to the laneway and installation of an additional sidewalk in the adjacent park.

The contract consists of the following work:

– Removal of existing concrete retaining wall on timber piles;
– Excavation and removal of the existing asphalt road surface and granular subbase;
– Supply and installation of a new steel sheet pile retaining wall, including cast-in-place concrete deadman anchors and tiebacks;
– New catch basins and underground stormwater management, including a backflow check valve;
– New granular backfill;
– Hot-mix asphalt road surface and line painting;
– New concrete sidewalk;
– Installation of additional handicap parking stalls;
– Website restoration.

“The installation of a new steel sheet pile retaining wall will mitigate future flooding during high-water events, improve stormwater drainage during storm events, and improve public safety,” the report says.

“New steel sheet pile retaining wall installations will provide approximately 50 years of service life.”

Construction is expected to begin in July and be completed by the end of October, with restoration works finished the following spring.

Full closure of the approaching Main Street laneway is expected, but access to the pier area will be maintained throughout construction, the report notes.