Cameron Street Bridge Update

By 250 News

Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsely says with CN's announcement  for the intermodal facility at  First Avenue the need  for a crossing to replace the Cameron street Bridge is even more  important.  "So we are going to fan out our appeals for funding, as  it will be needed for the intermodal  port, and dare I say the Gateway project as it is part  of our access to Asia."

The Mayor says there will bea significant increase in truck traffic that  cannot be expected to  travel through the heart of the City.

Councilor Don Zurowski wanted to know, "If the funding was available immediately,  when  could we be driving on the bridge?"

Frank Blues says "That is the 64 milion dollar question" but there are plenty of hoops to go through, including committmentson graqnts,  and the fact  theremust be approval under the Navigable Waters Act and  environmental  approvals.  He says there are a number of  key issues that need to be addressed including  demolition of the existing structure.

Blues says he expects the contract  for the design  will be awarded and signed by the first week of June.  His best guess for a completion date?  "At this time, we are looking at a two year process, but I can't confirm that until  we get into the process.  That  would see the completion of the bridge  at the end of October 2009."

That is not what Council wanted to hear.

"This is a safety issue, its an issue about getting our goods to market, it is affecting our community in a number of ways" says Councilor Deborah Munoz.

Councilor Brian Skakun  says  the Staff have done their job "They have done everything we have asked them to do .  We asked them to come up with a cheaper option we've asked them to find sources of funding and those things take time.  My thank you to Frank Blues and the City staff  because the work they have done will save the people of this city a lot of  money."

Councilor Murry Krause says Staff has tried to resolve this  issue, "They have done everything we have asked them to do."

Councilor Don Zurowski says he cannot believe government has not come forward with two thirds of the funding before now.   

The Mayor says his target was the fall of 2008,"But when you don't see any work it doesn't look like anything is going to happen."   The Mayor says he has spokem to the Province about the possibility of getting some dollars through the Mountain Pine Beetle fund "Under the mountain pine beetle funding some beetle killed wood would have to be used,I told him to build the whole damn thing  of wood I don't care, just  get it built."

There may be  funding available  through the beetle fund as the bridge woulde be a benefit to the  beetle logging industry in reducing  the length of hauling the  logs.

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