Victoria’s Johnson Street Bridge stuck in down position after morning malfunction

Traffic over the Johnson Street Bridge moved slowly Wednesday morning after a mechanical issue left the structure stuck in its lifted position.

According to the City of Victoria, the bridge has since been lowered and safely locked in place, but remains unable to rise for marine vessels.

The problem stems from the “span lock” mechanism, the component that secures the bridge deck in its closed position when it isn’t opening.

City staff say the span locks are currently secure, and the priority now is to make sure the system is functioning properly before reopening it to boat traffic.

“We have all necessary technical expertise on staff to complete troubleshooting,” said Colleen Mycroft, manager of Intergovernmental and Media Relations for the City of Victoria.

While crews continue their work, there is currently no timeline for when the bridge will be able to lift again.

The bridge normally operates on scheduled lifts for marine traffic, with additional lifts available by request, but there are no scheduled openings today.

Marine users are advised that requests to raise the bridge cannot be accommodated until further notice.

At the time the bridge was stuck in the raised position, which lasted for about an hour and reopened around 11:30 a.m., city officials notified BC Transit, emergency personnel and other key agencies.

The incident caused significant delays in the area, though traffic is now moving normally again.

The city says updates will be provided as more information becomes available.