(Issued July 4, 2018 at 4 p.m. EST) – The Town of Cobourg would like to inform residents that the estimated funds to repair the Monk’s Cove retaining wall was approved at yesterday’s Regular Council Meeting. The construction contract has been awarded and the contractor is expected to arrive onsite this week.
In the spring of 2017, the retaining wall along Lake Ontario at Monk’s Cove began to show signs of severe erosion due to the high water levels and wave action. Residents notified the Town of the unsafe conditions and staff responded by installing a safety fence along the top of the wall to warn people away from the top of the wall. The safety fence has remained in place until a plan and budget could be prepared to repair the wall.
The Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority (GRCA) applied to the Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure (WECI) program through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) for funding on behalf of the Town to repair the wall. Unfortunately, since there was so much damage in all of Ontario from high water levels in 2017, this project was not significant enough and we were notified in the spring that we were unsuccessful.
On April 16th, the Town procured the services of a coastal engineering consultant to conduct an assessment of the retaining wall damage and prepare the design of a repair for the Town to request construction bids. On May 31st, the Town received the final version of the design and requested contractor quotations.
Upon Council approval on July 3, 2018, the estimated funds required to construct the repairs are now available and the Town will award the construction contract immediately. The repair will essentially restore the existing wall by restacking the armour stone, installing an erosion control blanket, and backfilling behind the wall up to the existing grades. We expect the contractor to mobilize to the site within 48 hours of award and expect to be completed within one week, weather permitting. Topsoil and sod installation will follow. Once the repair has been completed, the safety fence will be removed.
Historically, the existing wall design was a sufficient retaining structure when water levels were lower. Upon inspection of the wall, the consultant has recommended that the Town ultimately replace the wall with a revetment structure which is a sloped wall that is more capable of withstanding the now higher water levels and absorbing wave action. A rough estimate for the full replacement of the wall is upwards of $2M including design, approvals, construction, contingencies, inspection, and taxes. The Town will continue to source funding opportunities for the design and construction of the ultimate wall replacement.
For questions pertaining to the Monk’s Cove Retaining Wall repair please contact the Public Works Division at 905-372-9971.