Oh the agony of watching this unfold!! It would be really funny, if it wasn't so damn tearfull.

"Slow motion" was the old imperial system and now has been replaced by "micro-motion"... the metric version !!

The actual costs for this will be staggering... I'm going to say $50 million, at least.... but it will be a beauty !!!

The chance to have it built for a reasonable price, within a reasonable time frame are long gone... makes you wonder if the administration people have any concept of actual construction practice or theory. There should be a requirement for people who buy picks and shovels to actually know how they work.

Blessings.

RIGHT ON RRrabbit..
ADMINISTRATION PEOPLE HAVE NO CONCEPT OF A LOT OF THINGS.
-PRACTICALITY
-URGENCY
-EFFICIENCY
-COMMON SENSE

HOWEVER THEY GET EXCELLENT MARKS IN THEORY.

"...and ultimately bring the construction estimate in within the estimated budget..."

Better a bit later but within the budget! The last twinning in Prince George was not within time and way over budget!

It will be a fine bridge - I am looking forward to seeing it completed, keep up the good work, guys!

Cheers!

It's a step, but there's a lot of highway that needs more lanes in all directions too. I'd like to see some progress on that as well.

I read last year that the bridge project includes 4-laning from the bridge up the airport hill and past the turn-off to the airport plus other modifications between the bridge and the stretch to #16 / #97 intersection.

I agree that it's frustrating how long these things take, BUT, let's not forget that those administrators who make quick snap decisions (e.g. city staff making quick decision to give gravel sale profits to the Ice Oval group without months/years of study and consultations) ALWAYS get criticized for NOT doing their homework and NOT doing proper consultations. It's a bit of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

"The design of the Simon Fraser Bridge "twinning" is complete, and is now in the hands of the Provincial Ministry of Transportation."

I more plain English, that means that the contract engineers have completed the working drawings and specifications and have handed those documents over to the client. The client will now have one final review of them which may include an estimate by a separate contractor (professional quantity surveyor) at 100% completion so that they know the range (10% +/-) that the tender should come in at if there are sufficient bidders.

In fact, those who take this phase seriously would have been calling those companies who are capable and interested in this type of project, to find out whether they have the time to spend on putting a bid together. If one or more of the key ones are unable to do that, they will wait a few weeks until there is a better window of opportunity. The objective is that they get as many competitive bids as possible to try to get the lowest price possible.

So, don't jump to conclusions and blame bureaucracy when you may, in fact, be seeing competent people at work but do not know it since you are not familiar with the process.

BTW, I am very interested in what the final outcome of this will be. Whether it will come in lower or higher than the "design-build" proposal should, at least in this one case, give us some insight into the merits of one system over another.

I have had a chance now to see the product coming from such a proecess at the Sports Centre and, while it is nice to have the facility, I am not impressed with the quality of detail and workmanship in relation to the cost of the project.

As I think I have stated here before, I have never seen a worse job of finished concrete flooring than in that facility.

BTW, if the concrete floor slab had any finish on it such as quarry or ceramic tile, or vinyl, that finishing would already have cracks in it as well. The cracking is so bad it would have telescoped right through.

Partly true Owl,... I appreciate your key word "may".... the design contract usually calls for a TQS to be done to provide accurate pre-tender costing..(something I do frequently). MOT has a handle on the project costs already... what is happening now is the "massaging and pondering" part of the pre-tender process.

I still say this beauty will have a price tag of close to $50 million when the dust settles... there are only a couple of contractors or LJVPs available or interested in this project so we have a limited audience to work with.

"Ripe, unpicked fruit does not go unnoticed."

Blessings

BTW Owl... there are quite a few recent examples of "getting the lowest price possible" for bridge projects in the USA, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Quebec... you probably noticed pictures of them on the nightly news.

Owl. I have to agree with you on the quality of workmanship at the Sports Plex. I never mentioned it initially as of course I would have been seen to be negative as usual, however during a walk through I too was amazed at the amount of cracking in the cement. In addition the roofing over the office buildings etc looked to be somewhat amaturish. The parking lot is built at an extreme angle, no doubt to keep the water running downhill, however I suggest that this will cause all kinds of problems in the winter.

The covering on the indoor track is apparently 11 millimetres, and it feels like you are walking on cement. Not the same a Masich Stadium at all.

The original cost analysis in 2004 showed a cost to each student of $25.00 per semester, plus a similar cost to staff. I notice that they are now stating that students are allowed in free of charge, and that their is no mention of staff. Are they free to???

The University will now pay $300,000.00 per year to the operating costs of this building (which is approx the amount of money they originally were going to get from students and staff) and the City will pay an additional $300,000.00.

They originally forcasted annual revenues of $900,000.00 for the facility, and have now revised this number to $400,000.00 with UNBC and the City picking up the difference.

Have a nice day.