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Single bid, $1M over budget, puts harbour pathway bridges on hold

Victoria’s building boom means the construction of two pedestrian bridges along the David Foster Harbour Pathway will have to wait, after the only bid to build them came in $1 million over budget.
Map - David Foster Harbour Pathway bridges

Victoria’s building boom means the construction of two pedestrian bridges along the David Foster Harbour Pathway will have to wait, after the only bid to build them came in $1 million over budget.

The city had planned to build foot bridges at Raymur Point and Heron Cove in James Bay, and create a “special place” at Heron Cove with a gathering space and access to the shoreline.

The budget for the project is about $4.27 million.

Ninety-nine companies downloaded the tender documents, but only one bid was received and it came in $1 million over budget, Victoria councillors were told Thursday.

“Really, the problem here isn’t the $1 million over. It’s that we got no competitive bids,” said Mayor Lisa Helps, adding: “I think it’s never wise — unless it is an emergency — to proceed with just one bid, because we don’t know what else would have come in.”

Fraser Work, the city’s director of engineering, told councillors that the amount of construction underway in the city is likely to blame for the lack of bids.

“There’s only a certain number of contractors who have the skills and capacity to perform this type of work and that climate is really influencing this price tag,” Work said.

Several councillors said they were reluctant to defer work on the bridges, which are seen as key connectors between Ogden Point to downtown.

“I had really been looking forward to the construction of, in particular, the Heron Cove bridge, which I think really will add to the usefulness and attractiveness of that waterfront pathway,” Coun. Geoff Young said.

“So it’s with great regret that I accept the staff’s recommendation to postpone it.”

Coun. Marianne Alto said she’s not convinced the deferral will result in cost savings down the road unless there’s a significant re-examination of the bridge design. But, she said, given the $1-million overage and the lack of competitive bids, “this is not a good investment at this time.”

Councillors agreed to staff recommendations to defer work on the bridges and special place and instead focus on other aspects of the trail, including the section through Reeson Park and the Johnson Street Bridge pedestrian underpass.

The city had secured $1.4 million from the Trans Canada Trail Foundation. The funding was dependent on the two bridges and special place being completed by Sept. 30. It is hoped that the funding can be used on other aspects of the trail. “I do not know right now if Trans Canada Trail would honour a modification to this financial gearing, but that potential is something to consider,” Work said.

This is the second time in as many years the building boom has been blamed for a delay in a city project. Last year, the city put off the start of its new 1.2-kilometre separated bike lane on Pandora Avenue because of a lack of competitive bids.

The new Pandora cycle track, which just opened at a cost of $3.4 million, had originally been forecast to cost $2.16 million.

bcleverley@timescolonist.com