Niagara Region Calls For Police Probe Of Gigantic Cost Over-Runs For Burgoyne Bridge

A Brief by Doug Draper

Posted May 23^rd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara’s regional council is calling on the Ontario Provincial Police and RCMP to luanch an investigation to determine if anything criminal accounts for gigantic cost over-runs attached to the rebuilding of the Burgone Bridge in St. Catharines.

Work continues on the deck of the Burgoyne Bridge in St. Catharines, Niagara. Photo by Doug Draper

At a May 19^th meeting, much of which was held behind closed doors, regional councillors also approved doing forensic audit on the bridge rebuilding project and launching an independent probe into “potential fiduciary impropriety” committed around the project by an “individual” inside regional government.

The cost of rebuilding the old bridge, connecting St. Paul Street in St. Catharines over Twelve Mile Creek and a stretch of Highway 406 running to and from the QEW, has soared from an estimated $59 million to more than $90 million and counting.

The provincial government has chipped in a portion of the reconstruction costs but most of them – at least for now – will be covered by Niagara taxpayers.

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