Repair of the Johnston Bridge in Quesnel to proceed

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

The City of Quesnel has received $6 million through the Canada Community-Building Fund to use towards the Johnson Bridge renewal project. The Johnston Bridge is one of the 45 projects across B.C. to receive funding from the Government of Canada for a total investment of $103.5 million. The funding is in addition to the permanent source of funding the City receives twice a year through the Canada Community-Building Fund.

In October 2018, the City was made aware of the deterioration of the Johnston Bridge which lead to a temporary closure of all traffic. It was then re-opened with a 10-tonne weight restriction. Since then, the City has been working with inspection agencies and engineering professionals to assess its condition.

This year, the City is finalizing the project designs and continuing to coordinate with Telus and Fortis Gas regarding planning and engineering for the removal/relocation of their utilities to complete bridge repairs.

This project will include the replacement of the bridge bearings, plates, light bracing, railing and sidewalk, along with structural repairs to the girders and cross bracing. The City will also replace a 50+-year-old watermain that crosses the bridge. This project is expected to take two years to complete; the utility removals and relocations in 2024 and the major bridge repairs in 2025. 

The estimated cost of the entire project is approximately $11.4 million. The remaining funding ($5.4 million) for the project will come from the City’s Utility Reserve Funds and Capital Reinvestment Reserve. Repairing the Johnston Bridge will add an estimated 25 years of service life. 

The Johnston Bridge serves as an important secondary crossing of the Quesnel River for emergency management as well as link utility infrastructure to Johnston Subdivision and beyond.

Vehicle and pedestrian traffic will be impacted during final planning and construction. More information will be released as it becomes available. 

Ron Paull - Mayor of the City of Quesnel stated:

"The Johnston Bridge is an important asset to the community, and the upgrade will allow residents and businesses to use this route well into the future. With this grant funding and Council’s strategic budgeting, it is welcome news to many that this project is moving forward as the Johnston Bridge restoration posed a large financial challenge for the City.”

Stay up to date by subscribing to City news:

Email: quesnel.ca/subscribe
Facebook: facebook.com/cityofquesnel
Twitter: twitter.com/cityofquesnel

The Canada Community-Building Fund is administered in British Columbia by the Union of B.C. Municipalities. For more information on the program, please visit: https://bit.ly/3YRKYyE 

New investments from the Government of Canada support 45 local infrastructure projects across BC

Courtesy of the Union of BC Municipalities:

Editor's Note -- the City of Quesnel was the ONLY local government in the Cariboo-Chilcotin to receive funding in this latest round of funding from the Federal Government.  They are receiving $6 million for repairs to the Johnston Bridge in Quesnel

Today, Terry Beech, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Burnaby North—Seymour, the Honourable Anne Kang, B.C. Minister of Municipal Affairs, and Councillor Jen Ford, President of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), announced a federal investment of more than $103.5 million to support 45 community infrastructure projects.   

In Colwood, funding will go towards building a multi-use waterfront pathway along the Esquimalt Lagoon. Work will include natural infrastructure to safeguard the peninsula from sea-level rise and the restoration of riparian vegetation in the salt marsh. This will improve local habitats, support biodiversity, stabilize soils, and filter pollutants. The work will guide visitors thoughtfully through sensitive areas while protecting and enhancing important natural resources. In addition to encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle for residents of all ages and abilities, this project will also support climate action and clean initiatives that strengthen the local economy and build a resilient community.  

Investments in Fraser Lake will help build new water lines along Carrier Crescent and Tunasa Drive. A new water line will provide a dedicated supply from the reservoir to improve safety of the community’s drinking water. As well, a new storm sewer will be installed to collect water from household sump pumps, and a new sidewalk will be constructed along Tunasa Drive. Once complete, the project will provide safe, clean water to the community for a healthier and better quality of life.  

Other projects to receive funding include new fire halls, water and wastewater treatment plant upgrades, airport expansions, and bridge and road upgrades.   Empowering communities to determine how best to direct funds enables them to plan strategically for their present and future needs and will help ensure British Columbia remains among the best places in the world to live, work, and raise a family.   

By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country’s economy, building resilient communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.  

The Hon. Anne Kang - BC's Minister of Municipal Affairs stated:

"B.C. communities are expanding services to meet the needs of a growing population. The federal government is to be commended for the continuing renewal of local infrastructure through the Canada Community-Building Fund. This program has delivered over $4.6 billion to thousands of projects across B.C. like Colwood’s multi-use pathway.” 

While Jen Ford - the President of the Union of BC Municipalities also commented:

"This accessible multi-use pathway will allow visitors to enjoy the spectacular waterfront in Colwood, while protecting sensitive ecological and archaeological shoreline areas. The pathway will inspire people to get outdoors and active as they walk or cycle from Colwood’s town centre to the waterfront and beyond to the vibrant seaside village envisioned at Royal Beach.” 

Quick Facts:

• The Government of Canada is investing $103,565,997 in 45 projects across British Columbia.  

• The Government of Canada’s funding comes from the third application-based intake of the Strategic Priorities Fund stream of the Canada Community-Building Fund, formerly known as the federal Gas Tax Fund.   

• The Canada Community-Building Fund is a permanent source of funding provided twicea-year to provinces and territories, who in turn deliver this funding to local governments for local infrastructure priorities.  

• In B.C., the Canada Community-Building Fund is administered by UBCM. 

• The Canada Community-Building Fund delivers more than $2 billion every year to 3,600 communities across the country. In recent years the funding has supported approximately 4,000 projects each year.  

• The Canada Community-Building Fund has 19 project eligibility categories, including capacity building, sport infrastructure, and broadband connectivity.  • Infrastructure Canada, which distributes this funding, helps address complex challenges that Canadians face every day—ranging from the rapid growth of our cities, to climate change, and environmental threats to our water and land.  

The full list of successful applicants can be viewed here

Challenge of the Johnston Bridge in Quesnel

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

Editor's Note -- this week's Quesnel City Council News column is written by Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson.  He can be reached via email here

Oh, if life were easy as the experts on social media make it out to be …

Many people have opinions about lots of things. Unfortunately, most of these passionately offered opinions show little understanding of the complexities of the challenges confronting your elected Council. They also distract and upset people unnecessarily.

Johnston Bridge is a classic case in point. Last week Council approved seeking a federally funded grant for $6 million toward the $11.4 million cost estimate to repair this bridge. Social media experts and others in the community had many opinions about this situation; including claims that this amount of money would build us a new bridge, which is simply not true, as a new bridge would likely be over $30 million. Of course, the main opinion many of these people share is that Council’s dithering has resulted in a doubling of the cost of the bridge repairs from the original 2018 estimate of $5.5 million and that Council should have “just fixed the bridge” when we found out it was compromised on October 3, 2018.

As you will see in the timeline below, a lot of engineering and specialist work was needed to assess the:

• extent of the corrosion of the bridge ends,
• state of the bridge piers, 
• options for all the utilities that cross the bridge, and 
• cost estimates for all this work, including mechanisms for the City to pay for it: go to referendum, seek grant funding or deplete City reserves? 

In the meantime, Council has other large expenditures and projects to discuss and finalize.

In 2018, Council approved the 5-year capital plan before knowing the bridge was compromised. It included a plan to go to referendum for the full replacement of the #1 Firehall (estimated at over $10 million). Fortunately, we received a major grant to help fund a renovation of the Firehall instead of a full replacement (approximately $5 million).

That same year, Council was also undertaking a comprehensive review of the City’s waste management system with the understanding that significant costs (tens of millions of dollars) were in the near future due to new provincial regulations for methane gas capture/disposal, leachate treatment, and landfill closure costs. 

In addition to these major financial risks in the existing capital plan, in May of 2019, Health Canada changed its Manganese standards for drinking water, which placed Quesnel’s water system above the maximum acceptable concentrations. We need to understand what upgrades and facilities are needed in case we are required to treat the City’s water ($25 million in 2021).

Trying to fit an unforeseen major capital expenditure into an already stretched and very challenging capital plan was no easy task for Council, especially if the full costs had to be absorbed by the City alone, as this would have required a referendum. Luckily, a grant is now open that will potentially pay for half of the Johnston Bridge and Council’s prudent fiscal management will enable the City to cover the other half from existing reserves.

In short, as you’ll see in the timeline below, there was no dithering by Council on the Johnston Bridge, it was an issue that was being actively pursued along with all the other capital challenges the City faces.

Johnston Bridge Timeline

• Fall 2018 City made aware of deterioration on Johnston Bridge and on October 3, 2018 closed bridge and then reopened with a 10 tonne restriction on October 9, 2018.
   
• November 3, 2018 an order of magnitude repair options report was received for consideration. November 5, 2018 the City Manager provided a report to Council. An inspection following this report identified corrosion to the girders at the south end of the bridge which had been missed/unidentified in the earlier inspection reporting.  
   
• February 2019 the City received a copy of the completed Detailed Load Evaluation Report.
   
• Summer 2019 Bathymetry Survey was completed using specialized equipment which maps the river bottom. This was necessary in order to complete a foundation assessment for the bridge piers.
   
• October 2019 results of the bathymetry survey and a Scour Assessment Report for the bridge foundation was received.
   
• 2020 a plan for erosion mitigation at the bridge piers and also at the toe of the north abutment was engineered and drawings sealed by bridge engineer.
   
• 2021 ongoing City coordination with third party utilities regarding planning and engineering for scheduling removal/relocation of their utilities in order to complete bridge repairs. The main south to north Telus fiber which feeds all of Quesnel including the downtown core is attached to this bridge. A gas main critical to Fortis infrastructure supply also crosses the Quesnel River on this bridge. The City water main which supplies Johnston Sub and beyond crosses this bridge as well.
   
• 2021 Capital project funding was secured for $150,000 to complete erosion protection rock work. Environmental Management Plan and permitting application to the province and fisheries was submitted and approval received in the fall. 
   
• May 11, 2021 results of the revised repair options and life cycle analysis report was presented to Council and the comprehensive repair option was selected. Council directed staff to update the cost estimate for this option. 
   
• August 2021 the repair option cost was revised and a site visit scheduled with the bridge engineer and preferred contractor to confirm probable costs.
   
• October 2021 site visit with bridge contractor, engineer, and City verified existing costed repairs and in addition to this, identified substantial concrete repairs needed to the north abutment, bridge railing, and pedestrian sidewalk. City Utility works and off bridge civil work were also identified.
   
• February 2022 rock work to the bank at the north abutment and pier protection erosion mitigation measures were completed at low water within the approved permit parameters.
   
• April 2022 all in cost estimate was updated and then presented along with a grant funding resolution to Council at the May 10, 2022 meeting.