Surrey council has awarded a $960,000 contract for the design of the Nicomekl River Replacement Bridge.
Council approved the contract for McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. at its Dec. 21 meeting, according to minutes posted to the city’s website.
Engineering design services for the bridge replacement are to be jointly funded by the city and Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, with each contributing up to $1 million. Following design completion, an agreement for tendering and construction is anticipated, with work to get underway this fall.
A corporate report notes that the two South Surrey bridges that cross the Nicomekl on King George Boulevard are due for replacement: the Bailey bridge that was installed in the 1970s and has a 10,000-kilogram weight restriction, and the two-lane timber trestle bridge, which doesn’t meet current seismic standards and is reaching the end of its service life.
READ MORE: South Surrey’s Bailey bridge replacement delayed due to ongoing discussions with city
Proposed improvements include two lanes each for north- and southbound traffic from Highway 99 and King George Boulevard to Crescent Road; improved neighbourhood access and circulation to Nicomekl Road from King George Boulevard; cycling and pedestrian facilities; a pedestrian connection across King George to the Nicomekl Riverfront Park; and improved seismic and coastal-flooding resiliency.
The design phase involves overall project management, structural and geotechnical design, road design, environmental permitting and tendering services; while the construction phase includes contract administration, inspection and post-construction services.
Design was to get underway early this month and be completed by August 2021, while construction is anticipated to be completed by fall of 2022.
The total value of the project is estimated at up to $20 million, with the cost shared equally between the city and ministry.
In May 2019, federal government officials announced a pledge of more than $76 million to help mitigate coastal flooding in Surrey, Semiahmoo First Nation and Delta communities.
READ MORE: WATCH: $76 million pledged for coastal flooding mitigation in Surrey and Delta
Thirteen infrastructure-improvement projects were planned within Surrey, ranging from dyke and road upgrades to sea dam and bridge replacements.
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