Craigflower Bridge is worse-off than originally thought.

Saanich and View Royal agreed to split the cost of upgrading the 77-year-old span that connects the municipalities B次元官网网址� improving the structural stability and widening it to add bike lanes and fishing platforms. But a load assessment conducted in December found that a repaired and widened bridge wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be able to sustain estimated traffic loads for longer than 15 years, unless traffic restrictions are put in place.

B次元官网网址淚f weB次元官网网址檙e putting more structure on it B次元官网网址� wider lanes B次元官网网址� loads will be greater. And the harder we looked at it, the worse it got,B次元官网网址� said Jim Hemstock, SaanichB次元官网网址檚 manager of transportation. Craigflower Bridge currently carries an estimated 18,000 vehicles a day.

Putting load restrictions on the bridge would impact on businesses relying on heavy vehicles to travel across the bridge, Hemstock said.

That leaves the option of replacement, but a new bridge isnB次元官网网址檛 cheap.

Hemstock estimates the cost, including approach roads and upgrades on both the Saanich and View Royal sides, at $10.2 million. A new bridge would last 75 to 100 years.

The Capital Regional District has $18 million of gas tax funds to spend on regional projects. Saanich council on Tuesday endorsed supporting a joint application with the Town of View Royal requesting funding for the new bridge project.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 got everything. ItB次元官网网址檚 proposed to be an important bus route in the new transit master plan, itB次元官网网址檚 on the CRD cycling route, itB次元官网网址檚 a truck route, it serves the base. It really is a regional project,B次元官网网址� Hemstock said.

View Royal council has not yet considered the motion to ask the CRD to help fund the bridge replacement, but Mayor Graham Hill said looking for shared funding opportunities was something the Town would encourage.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 also hope we could look to the province for possible grants,B次元官网网址� Hill said.

kslavin@saanichnews.com

B次元官网网址攚ith files from Sam Van Schie