Victoria’s Bay Street Bridge set to partially close to traffic for construction

Commuters in B.C.’s capital city are on notice that a major bridge deck flowing into Victoria will partially close for construction maintenance this fall.

The City of Victoria says it will be replacing the main deck of the Point Ellice Bridge’s main deck joint that allows the bridge to expand and shrink with temperature changes. Crews will also be replacing an old drainage system.

Once the work gets underway on Bay Street, eastbound traffic toward downtown will be closed to traffic and detours will be set up. The city says cyclists will be able to walk their bikes across with pedestrians – and the westbound lane will remain open.

Staff say the upgrades will help extend the life of the bridge, commonly known as the Bay Street Bridge, and that crews will do weekend and night work as required. Otherwise, the typical working hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

The city tells CTV News it’s targeting an Oct. 7 start date, but it’s waiting to confirm the arrival of some parts which will influence the timeline.