When it comes time to name the new Johnson Street Bridge, there鈥檚 a famous bridge in Venice that might serve as an inspiration 鈥� the Bridge of Sighs.
The Italian bridge got its name from the British poet Lord Byron, who imagined (mistakenly, as it turned out) prisoners sighing at their last view of Venice as they traversed the bridge on their way to execution. It鈥檚 not much of a reach to imagine taxpayers sighing at the troubles that have beset efforts to replace the span in Victoria鈥檚 Inner Harbour.
Maybe the Blue Bridge will become known as the Blues Bridge.
Controversy surrounded the project as soon as plans were proposed to replace the existing bridge, which was completed in 1924.
Heritage advocates fought to preserve the bridge. Rail enthusiasts insisted the new bridge should be able to accommodate trains. Those concerned about budgets objected to the cost of a new bridge, and pushed to have the old bridge upgraded instead.
To one expert, there was no question the bridge needed to be replaced.
Engineer Ramsay Murray first inspected the bridge in 1958 when repairs were needed after it was struck by an ocean-going tug. He found the steelwork under the deck to be badly corroded.
He took another detailed look at the bridge in 1978 when he was overseeing repairs and upgrading to various components of the bridge. Then, the bridge was painted black, but Murray said the black paint absorbed too much heat, with temperature changes causing problems. That鈥檚 when it became the Blue Bridge 鈥� the lighter coating absorbed much less heat, and the blue paint did not fade as quickly as other colours.
In a 2010 commentary for the sa国际传媒, Murray wrote:
鈥淔rom my experience with many other steel bridges, I believe that the structure has passed the point of economical repair and that conditions would be encountered which require greater time to repair than anticipated.鈥�
Nevertheless, the opposition to the new bridge was strong and vocal, and johnsonstreetbridge.org, a watchdog group, successfully led a petition drive that forced a referendum in November 2010, with 60.6 per cent voting Yes and 39.4 per cent voting No.
When plans were being discussed in 2009, the estimate for construction of the bridge and associated work around the bridge was $63 million. Before the 2011 election, the cost had risen to $77 million, and after the election, it went to $92.8 million.
Then-mayor Dean Fortin insisted that price was fixed in the contract, and that the bridge would be finished on time. His refusal to budge from that position was likely a factor in his loss in last fall鈥檚 election.
In June 2014, the contractor said more time and money would be needed to complete the bridge.
City manager Jason Johnson became concerned about issues with the project and hired consultant Jonathan Huggett to investigate.
Huggett found confusion. No one seemed to be able to answer his question: Who鈥檚 in charge here? In July 2014, Huggett was appointed on an interim basis to replace the project manager.
The latest wrinkle is that poor-quality fabrication of steel components in China means the bridge鈥檚 completion will be delayed until January 2017, almost a year later than the completion date announced when the contract was approved in December 2012.
It鈥檚 an issue that has caused many headaches and heartaches. Yet we shouldn鈥檛 lose sight of the importance of the bridge as a vital link in the region鈥檚 transportation network. And drawings indicate that it will become a signature piece of architecture for the Inner Harbour.
Perhaps, when it is completed and in use, the sighs of frustration will be replaced by sighs of admiration.
