91Ô­´´ Township council has voted to authorize up to $13.9 million in borrowing to upgrade or replace 13 key culverts during the next three years, in the wake of a heavy rainfall event last year that undermined a busy river crossing.

There are more than 8,090 culverts in 91Ô­´´ Township, a count that Township staff began keeping in 2010. This is based on a report on culvert replacements.

The Township's engineering staff have been engaged in an ongoing project of inspecting culverts and rating them based on their condition.

Of the 530 culverts inspected so far, 117 were rated as either "critical" or "monitor/replace," the two highest categories.

Just 13 were in good condition, 90 in fair condition, and 310 in poor condition.

The report calls for borrowing to replace 13 key culverts, all ranked as either critical or monitor/replace.

One of those is the culvert in the ravine in the 21400-block of 40 Avenue east of Brookswood.

That culvert suffered serious damage in a major rainstorm on Oct. 19, 2024. The road was undermined and that stretch of 40 Avenue has been closed down until the culvert can be repaired.

The other sites are: 

• 800-block of 216 Street
• 2200-block of 216 Street
• 24200-block of 63 Avenue
• 50 Avenue at 248 Street 
• 8700-block of 252 Street
• 264 Street in Glen Valley
• 80 Avenue in Glen Valley 
• 52 Avenue at 245A Street 
• 6400-block of 200 Street
• 21700-block of 16 Avenue
• 22500-block of Telegraph Trail
• 25600-block of 24 Avenue

These are the most essential sites for culvert replacement, with all of them considered at the "critical" or "monitor/replace" level, according to the Township.

Councillor Kim Richter raised questions about continuing to add to the Township's debt, which according to the director of finance currently stands at $653 million in authorized borrowing. Not all of that approved borrowing has actually been borrowed and spent yet.

The next phase will be for the Township to approve a borrowing bylaw for the funds.

Staff also fielded a question from Coun. Michael Pratt about how quickly the 40 Avenue culvert replacement work is going. The Township has sought funds from higher levels of government, but is also moving to rebuild the damaged road.

Because of weather and the fact that major construction can't take place in a fish-bearing stream during certain seasons, work on 40 Avenue will begin in the spring and the culvert and road are expected to be complete in the summer, according to Township staff.