It was an early Christmas present for the residents of Sulphur Spring Drive earlier this month as the road was finally reopened.
A section of the roadway, which runs between Effingham Street and Roland Road just south of Short Hills Provincial Park, was washed out in May 2016, and has been closed to vehicle traffic ever since. Duffin Contracting won the bid to repair the road in May of 2020, but—faced with numerous government agency-driven delays—contractor Bill Duffin saw the window of opportunity closing in on him on the cusp of winter. Yet by working overtime, he and his crew finished the job the first weekend in December. He also credits the help of Town staffers Jason Marr and Derek Young for facilitating the project.
The valley traversed by Sulphur Spring (or “Springs,” depending on which road sign you prefer) lies at the headwaters of the Twelve Mile Creek watershed, an environmentally sensitive area that is a spawning area for trout. The stream is prone to soil erosion, sedimentation, and road salt contamination.
Duffin told the Voice that he “purposely employed strategies that considered the environmental sensitivities of this area. The logistics of this project included constant environmental monitoring, as well as using state-of-the-art environmentally friendly materials.”
A great deal of attention was placed on the foundational work, said Duffin, which is not visible at road-level, but was nonetheless critical to the reconstruction. Approximately 160 feet of non-compactable, swamp-like organic material was removed to a depth of some eight feet, filling 70 dump truck loads. The roadway was then built up in stages using cutting-edge geogrid systems, which provide additional stability.
An underground drainage system called a French drain was employed, along with a storm sewer.
Precise placement of natural armour stone was a challenge, given the restricted width of the road in which a crane could operate. Duffin brought in seven truckloads, with up to 11 armour stones in each load, weighting 4.5 tons each.
“In the spring, we’ll start planting shrubs and ground cover, to help anchor the soil,” said Duffin. “Even if there's a strong rain, you're not going to see any erosion, because the subsoil matting will hold it in place.”
A surface netting, composed of natural coconut shell material, is visible on the graded sections of the rebuild. The netting will disintegrate by the time the shrubs have matured.
Duffin preserved as many of the trees already in place as possible, and added that “when I remove one tree, I try to plant two.”
Numerous adverse conditions were encountered in this project, according to Duffin.
“The road had deteriorated further since its closure in 2016, and the work area was only six metres wide, which left little room to perform some of the heavy-equipment excavation. We also had overhanging hydro wires to contend with.”
The reconstruction was not without its drama.
Duffin received a permit to undertake the work from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which was necessary given the roadway’s close proximity to Twelve Mile Creek. However, significant delays were triggered by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) and Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC), which balked at providing the necessary permit to allow the work to proceed.
An exasperated Pelham Mayor Marvin Junkin contacted CHCH-TV in Hamilton, and mustered a press conference on-site to convey the sense of urgency. Perhaps influenced by the potential for negative media attention, the NPCA issued permits the same day. Junkin had previously stated that because safe passage of fire-fighting equipment could no longer be guaranteed to residents on Sulphur Spring, he was prepared to declare a state of emergency, which would have empowered the Town to authorize the roadway repair work without approval by the government agencies.
“There was no damage to the stream during the construction period, so I would think everyone should be happy,” said Duffin, who added that in addition to the physical repairs to the road, he wanted to restore the natural beauty of the site as well.
“As one of the most scenic drives in the Niagara Region, preservation of this unique Short Hills area was a priority. Using natural materials, such as the armourstone, the road is not only stable, but blends in as part of the natural landscape, allowing for the therapeutic sound of the trickling stream to continue.”
Phase two of the roadway construction, on a smaller section nearby, will occur in the spring.
