Contact(s)
The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) and the City of Kitchener are undertaking the Bridgeport Dike Rehabilitation and Capacity Improvement Project Class Environmental Assessment and Preliminary Design Study. This study is funded in part by the Government of Canada as part of the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) and is being undertaken in partnership with the City of Kitchener.
The GRCA has retained KGS Group to carry out the study. The intent of the study is to explore options to rehabilitate the existing Bridgeport Dike to meet the current and applicable standards, with consideration of public safety, the environment, cost, constructability, functionality and potential impacts to adjacent properties.
The study will follow the Conservation Ontario Class Environmental Assessment for Remedial Flood and Erosion Control Projects (Conservation Ontario 2002, amended 2013) to determine the best-suited remediation strategy for the Bridgeport Dike.
Background |
The community of Bridgeport is located along the bend of the Grand River in the City of Kitchener. The former village has a history of flooding, with serious flooding reported in 1948, 1954 and 1974, when the 1950s-era earth fill dike was overtopped. The current 1.5 km-long dike extends along the east bank of the Grand River from upstream of the Bridge Street crossing.
Recent studies have identified that the water levels in the Grand River would overtop parts of the dike if we were to experience flood flows that would be caused by a storm event of the same magnitude as Hurricane Hazel, which is the Regulatory Flood Event in this location. These recent engineering studies also determined that the current dike condition does not meet the design standards that are required to ensure that the dike will remain stable during the Regulatory Flood Event.
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Study objectives |
The objectives of the study are to:
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About the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund |
The Bridgeport Dike project is funded in part by the Government of Canada as part of the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) and is being undertaken in partnership with the City of Kitchener. This study, which is the first phase of the entire Bridgeport Dike Rehabilitation and Capacity Improvement DMAF project, was initiated in late 2021 and will be completed over the course of two years. This study will cover consultation and preliminary design solutions for the dike capacity improvement. Final design and construction will be carried out as subsequent projects within the timelines of the DMAF grant application. Consultation and engagement for final design and construction of the preferred alternative or alternatives would be completed as part of those projects, and is not included within the scope of this current study. Learn more about other Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund projects by the City of Kitchener. |
Public Information Centres (PICs) |
A key component of the study is consultation with interested stakeholders (public, landowners and agencies) and First Nations. The intent of this study is to explore options to rehabilitate the existing Bridgeport Dike to meet the current and applicable standards, with consideration of public safety, the environment, cost, constructability, functionality and potential impacts to adjacent properties. The GRCA is hosting a virtual Public Information Centre (PIC):
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