People mourning the impending loss of the Johnson Street Bridge and those hotly anticipating its replacement, can watch the $77-million job unfold from the comfort of their own computer.
The city is seeking bids on a contract to install and maintain an outdoor camera on top of Mermaid Wharf, at 407 Swift St., to record the work.
“We thought that just because of the interest in the project, it would be something that would be very useful,” said project director Mike Lai.
Once the webcam is set up, people will be able to go to the project website (www.johnsonstreetbridge.com) to watch the work as it progresses.
“It will be similar to the highway webcams set up around the province,” said Lai. “(The still image) will refresh every so often.”
After the project is finished, the city aims to create a time-lapse video for presentation purposes.
“Our hope is that the webcam can be set up in time for the deconstruction of the rail bridge,” said Lai.
That timeline has sped up since the city closed the rail span unexpectedly last month for safety reasons.
The city aims to have the rail bridge demolished by the end of the year.
rholmen@vicnews.com