Published Articles

Bay Street Bridge Closure a Wake Up Call (in Business Examiner)

The closing on the Bay Street Bridge in early January due to the gas line rupture was certainly unfortunate. However, it was also a moment to pause and visualize how the city will function if one of our bridges is closed for an extended period of time. Ironically, the accident that closed the Bay Street Bridge came only a few days after Victoria City Council decided to revisit the question of rebuilding or refurbishing the Johnson Street Bridge.

The community discussions regarding rebuilding or refurbishing the bridge have been quite animated, perhaps close to the ongoing conversations on sewage treatment. The decision taken by council to rebuild the bridge and borrow two thirds of the required funding to do so was met with enough opposition that the seldom used Alternative Approval Process resulted in council receiving over 9,000 qualified opposing signatures. That amount was enough to stop the borrowing process and bring council to reconsider the decision.

The Chamber’s primary concern in the Johnson Street Bridge project and ultimate decision is the burden upon tax payers, particularly business tax payers, as well as the impact on business during the building process. We are also concerned about the best return on investment for years of future use for whatever option is pursued.

The importance of maintaining transportation connections with fluid movement between our communities and for the health of downtown businesses cannot be understated. For some who do not work or do business in the downtown core this may be a secondary consideration against other factors. But for those whose livelihood depends upon the vibrancy of downtown and to those who already spend a fare amount of time commuting, traffic disruptions for an extended period of time are an important issue.

We understand that the refurbishment of the Johnson Street Bridge will require partial lane closures from time to time, which is not a big deal. However refurbishment can also require a full bridge closure for a period of ten months or possibly more. This is due to the need to remove bridge components to refurbish off-site. Refurbishing without bridge closure could extend the length of time to complete the project to three years, increasing the costs significantly. Perhaps we will find there are other options than these.

In this time of reconsideration of the Johnson Street Bridge project, we ask that the community consider the broad implications of cost, return on investment, and impact on the health of downtown as they engage in the debate. The Johnson Street Bridge is a vital linkage to the ongoing health of our economy. As the closure of the Bay Street Bridge reminds us, minimizing bridge closures as much as possible is an important factor in the decision.

Articles - 2010

Articles - 2009