I was shocked and furious to learn that a costly complex retrofit project, presently in the design phase, is being used to add new bike lanes to the present, near end-of-life Takhini River bridge on the North Klondike Highway. As indicated in the Hansard, “as the project advanced, detailed engineering assessments revealed [this bridge’s inability to] support the additional weight of 2 separated [bike lanes] on both sides” as originally planned. Therefore, alternate options including “a single [lane] on 1 side with safe highway crossings” are currently being assessed (reminds me of the disastrous bike lanes on Chilkoot Way). It’s unbelievable that the feasibility/viability of the project wasn’t assured before applying for and awarding the funding!
The original estimated cost for this project in 2022 (definitely to be higher by completion) was an outrageous $8.5 MILLION including $6.2 million from the federal Active Transportation Fund. With a predicted remaining lifespan of only 10 to 15 years for the present bridge, by the time this project comes to fruition, the new bike lanes should see only a few years of use before a new wider bridge to include a separate bike lane on either side will be necessary, essentially doubling the total cost of the bike lanes. Yukoners, who pay both territorial and federal taxes, would be paying the full amount of bike lanes twice within a short period of time – a shameful waste of limited resources. It only makes sense that bike lanes be constructed only once — for long term use connected to the new bridge, not the existing aging one — a huge saving.
Given the increased heavy traffic (weight, frequency, size of vehicles) related to the proposed Inuvik military hub and forecast minimum of 12 trucks daily delivering LNG to mines on the North Klondike Highway (to start soon) will likely necessitate the construction of a new bridge sooner than predicted. Also, although the structural integrity of the current bridge is routinely monitored (annually I believe), the timely detection of resulting more rapid deterioration could be missed, thus compromising the five years needed to replace the bridge, potentially leaving no way of crossing the river – a situation to be avoided at all costs!
Money saved from building bike lanes only once, federal funding for upgrading infrastructure relating to the new military hub in Inuvik, together with YG revenue allocated from the budget surplus could assist with financing this long-term new wider bridge. In order to demonstrate fiscal responsibility, ensure public safety, and strategically align with northern federal military security planning, please immediately abandon the short-lived retrofit project of the existing bridge with bike lanes, and proactively initiate the five-year process for constructing a new wider Takhini River bridge including a long-term bike lane on either side, while simultaneously securing additional federal funding and ensuring the safe use of the existing bridge in the interim. Everyone I’ve spoken to, including Brendan Hanley, supports this forward thinking approach. Hopefully you will take the prudent, common sense approach by supporting and adopting it too.
Respectfully,
Liz Reichenbach
Hidden Valley
