FAQs
Replace or Rehabilitate:
Q: Is Council changing its decision to replace the Johnson Street Bridge?
A: Council decided to replace the bridge in April 2009 after considering many factors including safety, accessibility, improved pedestrian and cycling amenities, heritage values, sustainability and traffic and business disruption. The original decision to proceed with the Replacement Option was undertaken to seize the opportunity for 2/3s [$42 million] senior government funding for the $63 million Project. The timing of the funding required the city to act quickly to meet a March 2011 deadline for substantial project completion.
Since the closure of the Alternative Approval Process, City Council has asked staff to bring forward more information on the rehabilitation option so they and the community will have an apples to apples comparison of both options before moving forward towards an October 2010 referendum.
Referendum:
Q: Why are we going to hold a referendum?
A: In order to borrow money, the City must ask for approval from Victoria residents.
Late last year the City of Victoria used the Alternative Approval Process to gauge public opinion on borrowing to replace the bridge.
The Alternative Approval Process closed on Monday, January 4, 2010 and Council was presented with the results of the Alternative Approval Process at a Special Council meeting on January 7.
With 9,872 certified forms submitted, Victoria City Council passed a motion instructing staff to gather more information related to both replacement and rehabilitation options, and to put bridge borrowing to a referendum at a later date.
Q: When are we going to hold a referendum?
A: We are working towards a referendum in October 2010. This will allow time for staff and the City’s Owner’s Representative / consulting team to gather further information. The report given to council on February 18, 2010 lays out the work that is being undertaken.
1. Proceed with additional technical consulting work by the Owner’s Representiative for a rehabilitation option for the Johnson Street BridgeProject to a similar level of detail and costing as the current replacement option;
2. Develop a public engagement process;
3. Update the replacement cost based on revised timelines;
4. Conduct a peer review of the technical work by a qualified third party professional consulting engineer;
5. undertake an Economic Impact Assessment regarding the closures for each option;
6. Report back to Council with information from the additional technical work.
Q: What will the referendum question be?
A: After further technical review of the options available and engagement with the community, Council will decide on the referendum question.
It is important to note that the referendum question must specifically reflect the amount and purpose of the borrowing. In other words, Council is not able to pose an either/or question on rehabilitation or replacement in the same referendum.
Funding and Costs:
Q: What will it cost to gather more information before an October referendum?
A: As you may know, extensive design work has already taken place for the replacement option of the bridge since Council voted to replace the bridge in April of 2009. That is not the case for the rehabilitation option.
It will cost an estimated $400,000 to develop the concept for the rehabilitation option, detailed design drawings, an updated cost estimate for both rehabilitation and replacement options, cost comparison for seismic design at M=6.5 and M=8.5 for each option and a cost comparison with and without rail for each option.
The City is also including an estimated $50,000 for a peer review of the information gathered for both rehabilitation and replacement and $100,000 for an economic impact assessment to give an accurate idea of how bridge closures will potentially affect downtown.
Public engagement for this project is expected to involve three phases at an estimated cost of $150,000. The first phase will included a poll or survey of the public to determine their understanding of the project and how they would like to receive more information. Once the technical and impact assessment work has been completed the second phase will begin providing information to the public on the rehabilitation and replacement options. The final stage of public engagement will be communication of Council’s decision when rehabilitation or replacement has been selected.
It costs roughly $140,000 to hold a referendum. The total cost for all of this work is approximately $840,000.
Q: What will it cost to replace the bridge?
A: The original estimate, developed in May 2009, for replacing the Johnson Street Bridge including improved road approaches was $63 million. The Federal Government has approved 1/3 funding up to $21 million through the Building Canada Fund. An updated cost estimate for the replacement option based on extended timelines will be developed over the coming months.
Q: What is the Building Canada Fund?
A: The Building Canada Fund is a Federal Government infrastructure program. The Major Infrastructure Components portion of this fund targets larger projects of regional significance. The fund also focuses on projects in communities with populations of less than 100,000. The total budget for the Building Canada Fund is $33 billion over seven years, with a completion deadline of March 2016.
Q: What will it cost to rehabilitate the bridge?
A: We are currently developing a more detailed cost estimates to rehabilitate the Johnson Street Bridge. We expect to have more information by late spring.
Council has asked for the development of a Class “C” estimate which provides more detail and certainty than the previous estimates. Council has also asked that the Class “C” estimate for rehabilitation options include the same transportation amenities as what is being considered for the replacement bridge.
Earlier Class D estimates did not include increased safety and accessibility features for pedestrians and cyclists nor did it include costs involved in making the bridge more accessible for wheelchairs or strollers.
Q: What if we do nothing to the bridge and leave it as is?
A: According to the 2009 Johnson Street Bridge Condition Assessment Report, the bridge is nearing the end of its service-life with structural, mechanical and electrical components that need to be rehabilitated or replaced. The City must address the condition of the bridge by 2012 or consider its closure.
Some of the problems that the bridge is facing include:
• Corrosion and pack rust affecting the structural condition of several steel beam members.
• Deteriorating or obsolete mechanical and electrical equipment that poses a considerable risk for the bridge being stuck in either the open or the closed position.
• Seismic vulnerability, as it was not originally designed or built to any seismic standard.
Q: Is there any funding for the rehabilitation option?
A: The City has a Contribution Agreement for $21 million for a replacement bridge, however, if the decision is made to rehabilitate rather than replace the City can reapply to the federal government for funding one third of the cost of the rehabilitation project. This will require the submission of a business case for the option, similar to the business case submitted for the replacement option, and an outline of how this option addresses the seismic vulnerability and life-cycle costing for the option.
Timeline:
Q: How soon will the work begin on the Johnson Street Bridge?
A: A construction timeline will be determined once the results of a referendum are known in the fall. We will update this website as new information develops.
Transportation During/ After Construction:
Q: Will the current bridge be closed? For how long?
A: Once the Economic Impact Assessment results regarding the impact of construction are complete the length of closures will become clearer. Depending on whether the bridge is rehabilitated or replaced, there are different options for how the work is conducted.
If replacement is pursued, the existing bridge will remain open as long as possible to minimize impacts to the travelling public. Construction of the new bridge will occur slightly to the north of the existing bridge. However, some minor lane or temporary full bridge closures may be required for short durations to accommodate the need to move materials or equipment.
If rehabilitation is pursued, there are various construction methods that could be considered to complete the work. More will be known as more technical information is gathered.
It is important to note that the bridge sits over a federal waterway and law mandates that the bridge must remain open to marine traffic at all times.
Q: Will I face dangerous machinery, chemicals, excessive noise as I walk across the bridge during construction?
A: The entire bridge project is subject to a triple bottom line analysis. That includes an emphasis on the environment. All consideration will be given to minimizing the use of any noxious substances. It is unavoidable that there will be noise during the construction process, but all efforts will be made to minimize the effect on those using the current bridge during construction.
Q: Will it be safe in the event of a natural disaster?
A: Council has asked for the costs associated with seismic upgrading to withstand a 6.5 magnitude earthquake and an 8.5 magnitude earthquake for both the rehabilitation and replacement options.
Heritage:
Q: I like the way the Johnson Street Bridge looks now. What will happen if we rehabilitate it?
A: As more information is gathered about the rehabilitation option, this will become clearer.
Economy:
Q: How will bridge closures affect Downtown businesses?
A: An economic impact study will be conducted over the coming months to predict the potential impacts. We will update this webpage with more information as it becomes available.
