The replacement of the Coney Island footbridge is in the early stages after undergoing extensive damage in May.
The footbridge released from its anchor point on May 9 as a result of high water, excessive winds, and waves causing extreme flexing under force. The bridge detached and floated down Cameron Narrows.
On August 9, 2022, City Council approved a budget amendment in the amount of up to $225,000 (plus HST) to replace the damaged structure and funded through the contingency reserve for emergency costs .
The approval came after administration engaged the services of Stantec Engineering to review the situation and detail whether the footbridge simply needs a repair or should be replaced entirely. On July 28, Stantec advised that repair would not be feasible as there are too many unknowns, including the fact that there are no engineering drawings of the original footbridge and the repair would cost 65% of the cost of replacement.
Preliminary estimates to replace the bridge show the cost would arrive at approximately $160,000 (plus HST), but the administration requested $225,000 (plus HST) to provide adequate buffers for cost overruns related to this project and the higher level estimate of the project at this time.