The Town of Cobourg has announced it will begin reconstructing the town’s popular waterfront boardwalk after Labour Day.
Work is slated to begin Tuesday, September 3 to replace the boardwalk, which spans from Ontario Street to Hibernia Street, including north-south connections to Ontario Street, Bagot Street, and Durham Street.
Constructed more than 16 years ago, the town determined the current boardwalk needed to replaced and Cobourg council approved the reconstruction project last year.
“Construction was scheduled to begin in the spring of 2024; however, due to a delay in materials, work will begin in the fall,” Kara Euale, the Town of Cobourg’s manager of communications, told kawarthaNOW.
“To ensure the safe enjoyment of the boardwalk this summer, staff conducted significant and ongoing maintenance and inspection to minimize concerns caused by rotting wood and exposed nails,” she added.
Following community consultation, including a survey and public meeting, staff presented a report to council in July 2023 with the recommendation for the replacement. Council approved the new boardwalk to be constructed using pressure-treated wood materials for the decking and recycled plastic/composite materials for the substructure.
The new boardwalk will be constructed at-grade (non-elevated) and will be widened from three to four metres to meet the recommendations provided by the Town of Cobourg’s accessibility advisory committee.
To reduce costs, town staff will construct the boardwalk at the public works yard and install the panels in sections, a media release noted.
When work begins, the town will remove the old boardwalk, pull the vegetation, and begin installation, which will progress as time permits until the spring of 2025. During this time, Cobourg noted the boardwalk is expected to be fenced off for safety and signs will be posted.
“The town will notify residents once the boardwalk is re-opened for public enjoyment,” the release said.
The boardwalk project includes the protection of native vegetation. Through the design process, an environmental impact assessment was conducted that identified native vegetation that should be transplanted out of the construction zone, according to the release.
“In the fall of 2023, under the supervision of Beacon Environmental, vegetation was moved just outside of the construction area, near (its) original location, but providing enough distance for protection during construction.”
In the coming weeks, town staff will conduct the removal of the remaining vegetation within the construction zone.
“The fall is the best time to remove this vegetation when plants are becoming dormant, and birds are not within their nesting season,” the town noted.
Cobourg completed an environmental impact assessment and inventory of existing vegetation, breeding birds, and screening for “species at risk” to mitigate and restore the impacts of the project.
As for the condition of the overall existing boardwalk, which was constructed entirely out of pressure-treated wood, both the substructure and decking has deteriorated along its length.
There have also been significant ongoing maintenance and inspection requirements to minimize safety concerns caused by rotting wood and exposed nails, the release noted.
Cobourg is designing and constructing the new boardwalk with accessibility standards in mind.
Staff has received comments from the public, members of the accessibility advisory committee, transportation advisory committee members, and local cyclists. They stated that the current boardwalk is too narrow to accommodate cyclists, people who use mobility aids, and fit with all the various activities that occur at the waterfront.
Cobourg successfully secured a grant through the Active Transportation Fund and up to $450,000 will be provided for the project. The remaining balance is expected to be debentured.
For questions about the waterfront boardwalk replacement project, call Cobourg’s public works division at 905-372-9971.
