Image: For reference, the image above was provided by officials to show the size of the culvert being installed and the scale of the work underway during the most significant freshet since 2019, say officials.
UPDATE: Access is expected to reopen sometime before Saturday morning.
Construction on the Bittern Creek culvert replacement along Ravenscliffe Road continues to move forward, with crews making steady progress despite earlier setbacks and challenging conditions.
The project, launched as an emergency infrastructure replacement, was initiated after significant corrosion was discovered in the existing culvert—originally installed in the 1980s—raising concerns about the long-term safety of the roadway and the water crossing beneath it.
Since construction began in March, the closure of a portion of Ravenscliffe Road has created disruptions for residents, increased travel times and traffic along detour routes. District officials have acknowledged the strain, noting that seasonal conditions such as thawing ground and wet weather have made maintaining detours more difficult.
Delays and challenges
Work on the project has not been without complications. Early in the construction process, crews encountered conflicts between temporary water-control barriers and existing hydro lines, slowing progress and requiring adjustments to the work plan.
In addition, heavy rainfall and flooding conditions forced crews to spend additional time managing water within the excavation site, contributing to delays in the overall timeline.
Major milestones reached
In recent weeks, crews have completed several key phases of the project. These include removing the deteriorating culvert, completing a fish rescue operation to protect aquatic life, and assembling the new replacement structure.
Work is now focused on installing the new culvert, constructing retaining walls, and rebuilding the roadway above the crossing.
Officials say the replacement culvert is being designed with improved durability, including protective coatings intended to extend its lifespan and reduce future maintenance needs.
Impacts on motorists
Relief for motorists is on the horizon. At 6 p.m. yesterday, May 5, 2026, the District announced that a new structure (over 16 feet in diameter and 100 feet in length) was successfully craned into place, marking a key milestone in the project. The update stated that crews are working around the clock to open a single lane to traffic. That single lane was promised the week of April 27, but due to complications did not materialize. Plans were subsequently made to install a temporary bridge, but given the project’s recent successes, officials say it will be faster to reopen a single lane of traffic while work is underway.
In correspondence with Doppler, District Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works, James Steele, explained that the contractor has rectified the issue that prevented the craning of the steel plate structure last week, allowing the work to move forward as planned before complications delayed the installation.
“At this point, it is faster to proceed as was originally planned (with backfilling and preparing the temporary single lane road), albeit a couple of days later, rather than the contingency solution, installing a temporary bridge,” stated Steele.
He said components for the temporary bridge were scheduled to begin arriving today, “but given the size (approximately 4 m wide by 30 m long), it would have come in its constituent parts that would have needed to be assembled and then launched or craned into place. This would have taken some time, that’s why, with the successful craning of the culvert into place yesterday, [we] proceeded with the original plan.”
Asked when a single lane would be opened to traffic, Steele said at approximately 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 6, 2026: “We’re hesitant to make commitments on the timing at this point, but with nearly 24 hours of backfilling complete by the end of the day, today, I think we’ll be able to provide an estimated and realistic timeline for reopening to a single lane when we send out the update this afternoon.”
Officials say the project will ultimately deliver a safer, more reliable crossing at Bittern Creek, ensuring the long-term stability of the roadway and protecting the surrounding watershed.
Project updates can be found HERE.
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Not claiming to be an expert on Muskoka Creeks ‘nor the installation of culverts and bridges, but I do know that there are things you can ask about or lookup, to get a handle on such a project.
“Call before you dig!” See lots of this suggestion expounded upon by various companies. Hydro and Bell and gas lines can be anywhere and show up at any time. Checking can give a heads up and alleviate surprises.
Black Red horse are ‘threatened’, and River Redhorse are ‘of special concern’. These can be found in ‘runs’ of our common white sucker. Times ago and families made ‘pot meat’ from suckers as well as smoking them. The fish run mid April to early June. Sometimes in vast numbers. Why mess with a culvert change when the run is on? Rainbow smelt are on the move at this time as well. Not so much worried about since they are an invasive species, but lots of netters used to go out late to catch a ‘feed’ of smelts.
And the timing!! Why a culvert change in the spring? With Bittern (it is Bittern, isn’t it?) Creek in spring flood, aren’t you just picking a bad time to go play in the water?? Did District engineers suss all this out on their own or did they use a consultant? Either should be studying harder or finding alternate employment. Even little children with sticks are told to avoid creeks and ditches in flood.
Non of this info needs one to be adept with a shovel or a wheelbarrow to use it. Just the time to look it up and apply a little common sense. But we are talkin District here. Right? And what are the odds of this project having been brought in , on or under budget?
In that case, I think we tax-payers are all ‘up the crick’.
I very happy to read read the comments from the armchair engineers, it gives me great happiness to know that there are visionaries who can see the faults in what trained individuals do and plan despite the fact that they know zero about it themselves.
These folks should be given shovels and wheelbarrows and turned loose on these projects that they might “show us how it’s done”.
My question is – why wasn’t this “emergency infrastructure replacement” started until March? The city was notified by a local resident on August 5, 2025 of a possible problem. Within 24 hours a Huntsville staff member came out to investigate. It was not late last year when it was “noticed” by staff. But yet work did not begin until March, the worst possible time of year, when high water levels and rainfall are an issue, causing problems, complications and impacting timelines the most.
Excuses, excuses. This was obviously poorly planned. Again I say the district engineering department needs a shake up. I wonder how much this is costing the tax payer? Are we paying for the temporary bridge that won’t get installed?