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Bruhn Bridge options down to two

Main Street bridge option remains on the table, longterm cost implications unknown.
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Two options remain on the table for the replacement of the Bruhn Bridge – one of them including the contentious Main Street bridge proposal.

During a special meeting of council held Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 20, Sicamous’ mayor and council received a verbal update from Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure representatives on the Highway 1 bridge replacement project.

New ministry project manager Jennifer Stites began her presentation by stating a preferred option has not yet been selected – referring to the three options initially made public in a May 2016 MOTI document. These include option 1, a six-lane bridge; option 2, a five-lane bridge; and option 3, a four-lane bridge accompanied by a second new bridge over the channel at the end of Main Street.

Stites said ministry staff is now advancing preliminary design work on only the latter two options.

“From there, we’ll move into a functional design phase with a preferred option and additional opportunities for engagement… as we refine our preferred option,” said Stites.

Stepping back, Stites outlined reasons for the project, work that’s been done and is ongoing. She explained the remaining two options are currently being evaluated, and environmental and technical work will be carried out with input from local government and First Nations, and this, she said, “will be used to identify issues and opportunities identified with each of these options.”

Further public engagement is also planned, with an open house being looked at for 2018.

Stites referred to past public engagement opportunities, including an earlier open house as well as a public survey, the results of which showed a majority of respondents in favour of the five-lane bridge option, followed by the four-lane/Main Street bridge option.

Going into details on option 2, Stites explained the highway access to Old Spallumcheen Road would be maintained by a proposed interchange, that it would improve westbound travel times compared to the other options, that it supports development on Old Spall. Road and costs less than option 1. Disadvantages include construction and traffic challenges that would lengthen construction time, the need for retaining walls, a larger footprint “due to the amount of excavation and complex construction ramps,” and property acquisition needs involving CP Rail.

Regarding the four lane/Main Street option, Stites said the Main Street bridge could carry municipal services to the west side, enhance local connectivity, include cycling and pedestrian trails, and that the overall option would also cost less than option 1 – but is comparable to the cost of option 2.

Regarding disadvantages, Stites said the option would impact existing docking facilities at the end of Main Street, and that there would be a need for additional consultation with Transport Canada given the second bridge in the channel.

Stites also stated option 3 will increase traffic on Main Street… and has “potential municipal maintenance implications with the Main Street bridge.”

Regarding funding, Stites said the ministry is working on a funding agreement with the federal government. However, she was unable to answer specific questions from the public regarding potential long-term costs related to the maintenance of bridge access points and the Main Street bridge, or whether or not those would become the District of Sicamous’ responsibility.

Stites said she and the ministry continue to welcome public input, including a question from Bill Moore, who wanted to know why the proposed option 2 structure currently includes a sidewalk but no bike lane.

“In this day and age, with people going across the country on these bicycles, why is it only being offered on a Main Street bridge and not on this one? It should be on any option that you’re doing as far as I’m concerned,” said Moore.

“So at this point, what’s proposed for the five lane bridge, you are correct, is a sidewalk option,” replied Stites. “Now that’s one piece of feedback that I have in my notes for things that we we want to explore. It’s exactly the kind of feedback we want to get from the community with respect to all options.”

Council asked no questions of Stites or the ministry.

Later in the meeting, council formally acknowledged the receipt of a petition containing more than 600 signatures of people who are opposed to option 3 and the Main Street bridge. Town manager Evan Parliament the petition would also be submitted to MOTI for input.

FINAL_TCH Bruhn_Sept. 20 Presentation to DoS_20170920 by Lachlan Labere on Scribd