Wilkinson Eyre Architect was appointed in July 2009 to develop designs for a replacement for the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria, British Columbia. The openable bridge provides a crossing for cars, rail, cycle and pedestrian traffic. The preferred proposal is for a bridge composed of two fixed approach spans of around 20m, with a central opening section of 57m in length. This option, using the wheel bearing principle, creates a set of clean lines, with a structural diagram understandable for all. Based on the principle of a ‘rolling wheel’, the rotation point of the bridge will also be the point where the pedestrians on the west side along the harbour will walk through it, offering a memorable experience of walking through the bridge’s opening mechanism even when the opening is in progress. The bridge is expected to be complete by November 2011.

Date:

Appointed September 2009

Location:

Victoria, Canada

Client:

City of Victoria

Value:

£37 million

Type:

• Bridges

Link:

www.johnsonstreetbridge.com