After months of waiting for the news, Victoria learned its bid for a grant to replace the Johnson Street Bridge was not among the 174 chosen for funding across B.C.

On Thursday, the province became one of the last to enter an agreement with Ottawa to jointly fund two-thirds of the cost for infrastructure projects in municipalities across B.C.

That night, councillors showed up to a special council meeting to vote on the winning design between three options on the table. The surprise announcement, however, threw a wrench in the plans.

“I’m truely stunned,” said Coun. Sonya Chandler. “I don’t know how a population of 75,000 people is supposed to shoulder $65 million ... I would like to go back and request an evaluation ... that examines all of our options with sustainability as our core driving motive.”

Mayor Dean Fortin and councillors Lynn Hunter and John Luton argued the failure to get a grant shouldn’t stand in the way of moving ahead.

Any delays could prove costly, Fortin said.

“I have no interest in revisiting that decision (to replace the bridge),” Luton said. “I think it would be fool hearty to try to refurbish the bridge. I think it sets us up for cost escalation year over year over year as we try to keep an old bridge together that has clearly reached the end of its useful life.”

The majority of council, however, called for time to regroup and “take a deep breath.”

No longer bound by the tight timelines imposed by a condition of receiving federal stimulus money, council voted to take two weeks to look more closely at the viability of all options, including updating the existing bridge.

Regardless, councillors agreed to vote on a preferred bridge design.

The rolling bascule bridge received unanimous support from the citizens’ advisory committee and near unanimous support from council as well.

“It’s just plain cool,” said Coun. Philippe Lucas, pointing to the round counter-weight under the bridge deck whose design allows pedestrians to walk through.

“It references very elegantly our industrial heritage,” Coun. Pamela Madoff said.

A campaign to get public input into the three proposed designs resulted in over 5,000 votes. The rolling bascule received a second-place.

Public input should have also included whether to refurbish the existing bridge, said Mat Wright after the meeting.

Along with two others, Wright set up a protest website, www.johnsonstreetbridge.org, arguing council’s process has been fundamentally flawed.

rholmen@saanichnews.com

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Infrastructure stimulus fund

Across the province, 174 projects were selected for funding are valued at over $719 million. While Victoria’ bid to get funding to replace its bridge was denied, it did secure almost $5 million to rehabilitate a steel water main. The Royal B.C. Museum also got $2.7 million to upgrade its First Peoples Gallery.