The City has committed to spending another $2.5 million to build a new eastbound bridge on 68th Avenue. $4 million was originally budgeted in the 2014 capital plan, but Community Safety Director Horacio Galanti says they didn’t have a preliminary design at that time.
They based their estimation on the historical cost of the existing westbound bridge with inflation, adding that the new bridge also has a passenger sidewalk. City Hall received five qualified bids for the tender, which ranged from $6.47 to $9.2 million dollars.
When it realized the project was going to be so over budget, the City applied for a $5.5 million joint federal and provincial grant, but that was rejected earlier this year.
The new bridge will accommodate eastbound traffic and pedestrian, and will join up with the twinning of 68th Avenue from 100th to 108th Street. Work is set to be done by next October.