The City of Victoria will likely stick with its plan to keep the Johnson Street Bridge open while the span that will replace it is being built.
Victoria Coun. Shellie Gudgeon had suggested that closing the existing bridge for a few days might help make the work more efficient, sparking plenty of discussion about the idea.
Dwayne Kalynchuk, Victoria’s director of engineering and public works, told city councillors on Friday that he reviewed the option with the builders and they’ve concluded “that there is no benefit or cost savings in a short-term bridge closure.”
But nearby Harbour Road could be closed for five days to allow crews to relocate infrastructure for intersection signals, and when paving is done at Harbour and Esquimalt roads.
Harbour Road is currently closed to motor vehicles going north, but there is full access for cyclists and pedestrians.
Gudgeon said she suggested a bridge closing after a tour of the construction site, where she was told that putting in the road approaches is a complex task. That led to her suggesting a brief closing might be helpful. “I think we need to discuss it if there’s a potential of saving dollars and creating efficiency.”
The new bridge, being built adjacent to the old one, is scheduled to open in spring 2016.
PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. has a contract to build the bridge for $63.2 million. Design, management and other costs bring the total to $92.8 million. PCL is asking for an additional $7.9 million and 5 1Ú2 months more time, citing a delay in the delivery of designs and incomplete details about the scope of the project.
A report by engineering consultant Jonathan Huggett released last week said the project is plagued by a lack of leadership, communication breakdowns and complexity of design. Huggett said he doubted it could be completed at the contracted price. The city has hired Huggett as interim project director.
— Times Colonist
