Key components in place as new bridge takes shape
The weekend installation of key components of the new Johnson Street Bridge proceeded largely as expected, and is being followed by an all-out work schedule to ensure it opens as scheduled, said Jonathan Huggett.
Crews now have a long list of tasks to complete, said Huggett, the City of Victoria’s project director for the bridge. Onlookers on Saturday and Sunday saw the placement of the structure’s two huge rings, which are part of the mechanism that moves the structure up and down.
A counterweight was also put in position.
Perched on a barge, a giant crane dubbed the Dynamic Beast carefully manoeuvred the counterweight onto columns. The counterweight, which helps the bridge move up and down, didn’t immediately align with the bolt holes, so hydraulic jacks were used to line it up.
The Dynamic Beast headed back to Vancouver Monday. It is due to return in early February to lift the bridge’s main span into place.
“It’s a lot of work to do,” Huggett said of the coming weeks. “They’re going to be filling the counterweights with lead and getting those all done up. They’re going to be making sure the whole lot is aligned, they’re going to be bolting it all together.”
“The only days they’re taking off are Christmas Day and Boxing Day. They’re working right the way through and there’s going to be some night shifts coming up, as well.”
The bridge is due to be ready for traffic at the end of March.
Huggett said efforts have been made to let nearby residents know about the heightened schedule.
“We said we’ll work with them if it gets annoying, but we need to work the night shifts to get ready.”
On Saturday, the 160-tonne lower counterweight and the north ring were installed.
Victoria Fire Department lent the city its drone so staff could post videos of the process online.
The second 290-tonne ring of the new Johnson Street bridge was lifted into place Sunday, giving the public a clear view of what the bridge will look like upon completion in March.
“Practice makes perfect, it went in a lot easier than the first ring,” said Huggett. “Now both rings are in place, they certainly look pretty good."
Work went smoothly this weekend, he said. “There weren’t any hiccups.”
Huggett is struck by how dramatically the cityscape will change once the new bridge is complete.
“You know what strikes me as really interesting: Boy, is it much smaller and sleeker than the existing bridge.
“This is going to look pretty spectacular.”
Huggett said he worked on the SkyTrain in Metro Vancouver in the 1980s, a major project that built up over years. In contrast, the major components of the bridge will be erected in the span of 24 hours.
“All of a sudden, in the space of one day, you put in those rings in and go: ‘Wow, that’s different,’ ” he said.
After the new bridge opens, the blue Johnson Street Bridge will be disassembled.
The bridge is being built at a cost of $105 million, up from the original estimate of $63 million in 2009.