On April 1st, Victorians will (finally) say good bye to the old Johnson Street bridge.
As a part of the original contract with PCL Construction, the nearly century old structure will be decommissioned and its parts sold for scrap. However, a local group called My Blue Bridge, is interested in re-purposing the metal and incorporating it into future plans for the city with the support of BRIGHT-YYJ awareness group.
“The initiative aims to highlight the legacy of this structure and the value in salvaging portions of the bridge to be integrated in meaningful ways throughout the urban environment,” they said in a statement.
“As a city with strong historical roots, incorporating valuable aspects of cultural heritage into modern technological and economic advancements is important in shaping the city’s future landscape. At the recent Discover Tectoria conference in Victoria, local tech companies showcased the future potential of the city, which is already experiencing momentous growth.”
It’s unclear exactly how the metal would be worked into future city planning, but they believe the discussion alone would be valuable for the city.
Given that Victoria’s tech sector has become it’s number one industry, with over $4-billion in revenue for 2017, it could provide a frame work to build on that growth, featuring local tech innovators in the project.
San Fransisco’s decision on their Old Bay Bridge is also highlighted, which has a portion being re-purposed for artistic use.
Of course, the original contract needs to be modified for any of that to even have a chance of coming to fruition.
If interested, you can sign a petition here.
