Massive steel structures scattered across the harbour, will soon stand as the new Johnson Street Bridge.
Hundreds of tons of steel are taking shape within eyesight of the old blue bridge it will soon replace. The new pedestrian cyclist walkway on the north side of the new bridge is almost done and work begins on the pedestrian only walkway within days. An aluminum topping will soon be fitted underneath both and ready the feet and wheels of the public by March of 2018.
“It’ gone very well like a lot of projects there is always challenges in any project and we have been working through the challenges as a team,” said project director for the City of Victoria Jonathan Huggett. “There are no major challenges there are only minor challenges we are dealing with as we would expect with any project.”
This extruded aluminum planking is what the walking and biking surface on the mixed use and pedestrian areas replacing our current #bluebridge. pic.twitter.com/V6Aeu9t8J1
— Victoria News (@VictoriaNews) November 8, 2017
The main span of the bridge, currently covered by a large tent on a barge along the Victoria waterway is in the process of having surfacing added. A large crane, 330 feet long and approximately 120 feet wide will come into Victoria harbour, temporarily closing the waterway for five days in November to lift two steel rings in place. The barge returns in January to lift the main bridge in place. From there safety testing and audits take place to ensure the bridge is ready for the public by March.
The view from the new @CityOfVictoria #JohnsonStreetBridge pic.twitter.com/4XD8CDsgYl
— Victoria News (@VictoriaNews) November 8, 2017
“The only thing that won’t be open will be the pedestrian only walkway (on the south side) because we can’t open it until the old bridge has been demolished,” Huggett said. “I would say that part will take two or three months beyond that, but by the summer of 2018 we hope to have most of the work in place.”
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