DAWSON CITY Despite temperatures hovering near -40 C all day and evening Tuesday, there was a steady trickle of interest in the territorial government's plans for the Yukon River bridge at Dawson.

The interest was evident at an open house during the day. As well, about 20 people turned out for the evening question and answer session, both of which were held at the YOOP (Yukon Order of Pioneers) Hall.

After years of on-again-off-again discussions by several governments, the Yukon Party regime announced its intention to build the bridge last April, and to have it completed and in operation by 2007, with construction to begin this summer.

Opinions both in Dawson and across the river in West Dawson/Sunnydale have been divided since the announcement. There has been much discussion about the need for a bridge, and its location and type.

Much of this was decided last month, as previously reported in the Star. The project will take the form of a five-span girder type bridge from a point at George Street off Front Street to meet the current ferry landing on the west bank.

The bridge's current estimated cost is $32,363,200, up substantially from the $25-million price given at the original announcement. This is perhaps not the final cost, since the government seems determined to test the concept of private, public partnerships (P3) on this project.

Economic Development Minister Jim Kenyon admitted under questions from bridge opponent Brent Macdonald that the government has no idea what sort of interest rate a partner putting up money for this project might charge.

That information would only be available when the responses to the request for proposals come in from interested contractors.

While the government is seeking 'a concessionaire to design, build and finance' the project, it's not yet clear what benefit would accrue to the successful applicant.

Will the government be leasing the bridge? Will it become a toll bridge? Nothing has been said about those issues.

The request for proposals is going out after the full analysis of a request for qualifications survey. That was designed to find out who would be interested and qualified to take on the project.

Macdonald said the government has misrepresented the ferry costs, particularly the need to replace the existing ferry soon.

'They don't come with an expiry date,' said the ferry worker.

Kenyon said the bigger size will be needed to handle the increasing traffic and the growing size of the traffic.

Macdonald also asked about the loss of 16 jobs that will disappear with the ferry.

Community Services Minister Glenn Hart said ferry employees will be offered positions and retraining with the Department of Highways and Infrastructure on the same seasonal basis as the contracts they have now, though one or two plan to retire.

Perennial town council candidate Frank Narozny believes a bridge will probably hasten the day when the City of Dawson will have to to relocate its landfill, currently located in the watershed at Quigley Gulch. While Narozny, who works at the landfill, favours such a relocation, he still sees this as a hidden cost to the town, which is already in dire financial straits.

Hart rejected Norozny's request that a bridge survey be made part of the spring election campaign. The minister said this isn't a municipal matter and that the new council that will succeed the town's current trustee will have its hands full without it.

Local engineer Stephen Johnson submitted a critique of the government's figures. He found traffic has actually declined since 1998 and that the 'life cycle' analysis used to justify the bridge over the ferry has been miscalculated.

According to Johnson, once you factor in new capital costs, a bridge will actually cost about $3 million more than getting a new ferry and $2 million more than continuing to run the George Black ferry when viewed over the next 10 years.

The government's Robin Walsh indicated the longer-term trend for traffic across the river still supports a projected traffic increase.

The lack of detail in several of these economic areas brought out questions from concerned citizens during the evening session. That gathering was much more confrontational than the afternoon open house.

Kathy Webster, who chairs Dawson's planning board, criticized the lack of an actual study which would support predictions of increased tourism and greater economic activity with a bridge. She said this seems to be mainly an article of faith with bridge proponents.

Local economist Gary Wilson was more concise in his criticisms.

'I don't see a study in front of me that outlines the socio-economic benefits of this bridge being built. It is not good enough for me to hear you say, Well, the meetings we've been to show benefits.'

'If you're going to say there are economic benefits to this, do the work and prove it to the community. Otherwise, you're going to come up against the same issue over and over again.'

Wilson said Dawson 'is full of very intelligent people that are well-read and have a good understanding of this kind of work. This is a large capital infrastructure project for the Yukon. It is not good enough to have you say there's going to be economic benefits. Show me (the economic benefits) through a proper research process.'

Wislon said he isn't 'someone who supports or does not support the bridge. I'm someone who, frankly, is not happy with the process that is being used to put a bridge into the ground.'

See more photos opposite.