Dear editor,
Not that I’m fixated or anything about the Fifth Street Bridge, but I think it would be a good idea to at least put the refurbishment off for a year. Everything else is being put off for a year.
It is extremely insensitive of city council not to consider the impact that closing the bridge for six months will have on the downtown merchants, just as they will be trying to recover from this lockdown.
The suggestion that it will be possible to have one lane of traffic going during the refurbishment strikes me as totally unrealistic.
Do you really think that cars will be allowed to cross the bridge while they are sandblasting?
Do you really think that cars will be allowed to cross the bridge while they are painting?
I don’t.
Furthermore, putting off the refurbishment for a year might be a good financial decision.
Given that City revenues are going to be seriously negatively affected by this lockdown, the spending and borrowing required for the bridge project could be better put off to a later time.
Finally, putting the project off for a year would give the City time to actually have a better look at replacing the bridge. I don’t believe the option was properly investigated in the rush to go through with the paint job.
The main concern, though, is what’s going to happen to our downtown.
Let’s hold off on this bridge project.
Erik Eriksson,
Courtenay