One of two bridges spanning the old mill race in Mill Race Park will likely be closed permanently and decommissioned due to the cost to replace it.
City staff is recommending council approve an option to rebuild the northern most closed bridge, and permanently close and decommission the other bridge.
Rebuilding both bridges would have cost about $400,000, according to staff estimates.
Council is expected to decide on the best option next week.
The bridges, which were closed in 2022 due to their deteriorating condition, were built in 1990 within the ruined C. Turnbull Company Limited knitting mill that towered over Water Street at the turn of the 20th century.
The preliminary design estimate to remove bridge 2 and to replace bridge 3 is $200,000.
Work would include dismantling and disposal of the existing bridge structures, new foundations/piles, abutments, fabrication and installation of one new galvanized steel bridge and intermediary restoration works related to the install.
Staff say the benefit of this option is maintaining similar service levels to what's existing based on the close proximity of the two bridges.
Bridge 3 has surrounding grades that would allow for the slope of the replaced bridge to be approximately five per cent, which would be in accordance with accessibility standards.
The report to council says the reduced scope of keeping one bridge allows for less capital and maintenance costs compared to both bridges being replaced.
The bridge getting decommissioned has steeper surrounding grades, and could not be installed within accessible slope tolerances, which is why it is not the preferred bridge replacement under this option.
A public survey conducted last fall through the city's Engage Cambridge website received 1,546 page views, 460 survey responses and 242 detailed comments.
In general, the public feedback on the proposed bridge replacement was mostly related to costs, maintaining heritage features, weddings/photography, homelessness concerns, and accessibility.
