The 5th Street Bridge is going to get upgrades starting next year.
The unofficial results are back from the Alternative Approval Process, which was sent out earlier this month to see who didn’t want the city to borrow the $3.4 million necessary for the project.
Out of 20,162 people, only 52 elector response forms were received by the November 16th deadline.
That means Courtenay will be moving ahead with the next step of the process.
Mayor Bob Wells says it’s one of the valley’s biggest projects and it’s something that is much needed in the community.
“The successful conclusion of the AAP brings us one step closer to the launch of construction in the spring. Our staff are working on detailed planning and preparations with an experienced team of engineers and traffic management specialists.”
“At the same time, these bridge repairs can’t be postponed any longer. The repair needs and costs are increasing every year, and we also have a deadline to meet for our grant funding. This is an extremely challenging project, and we’ll be sharing much more information on what residents, businesses, and commuters can expect over the coming weeks and months.”
The city says the last significant investment in the bridge was in 2012.
Construction on the new project is planned to start in the spring of next year and is expected to take about six months to complete.
Total project costs are estimated at $6.3 million.
Now that the AAP is finished, council will consider the borrowing bylaw for adoption at the December 7th council meeting.
To learn more about the Fifth Street Bridge project visit the City of Courtenay’s website.
