The tours, highlighting the engineering challenges of refurbishing the 86-year-old span, are part of the city's effort to gain public support for a decision on the future of the link. The consultations got rolling yesterday with an open house at city hall.

The campaign also includes information packets and feedback forms being sent to every household in Victoria. The city will gauge public opinion from the feedback forms as well as an Ipsos Reid poll that will be conducted starting July 22.

Mayor Dean Fortin said he hopes the consultation process will equip residents to make a confident choice between refurbishing the bridge and building a new one.

"We're going to be coming back to the population ... to see which option they want us to proceed to referendum on," Fortin said. "So, the most important thing is to have them feel that they have all the information that they need."

City council has a deadline of Aug. 12 to choose an option. The referendum will ask the public whether they support the spending needed for that choice.

Fortin said without support for that spending, the city could be faced with losing the link altogether. "This is a crucial project," Fortin said. "If we don't do something in the next two to three years, we face closure of the bridge and then decommissioning."

An engineering study in February 2009 found the bridge needed significant structural, seismic, electrical and mechanical upgrades. Council had sought to replace the bridge, but a city plan to borrow $42 million to finance the project was shot down in January after a citizens' group successfully held a petition campaign to force a referendum on the issue. Council agreed to seek further information on rehabilitating the bridge.

Replacement is now pegged at $89 million -- up from the previous estimate of $63 million -- and refurbishment is now estimated at $103 million, up from the $35-million estimate residents were given seven months ago. Consultants say $12 million to $23 million can be shaved off the cost by terminating the rail line in Vic West.

By noon yesterday, about 50 people had passed through the city hall antechamber, where city officials in blue T-shirts guided visitors through signboards detailing the two main options and a host of sub-issues.

"It's a fairly complicated issue," said Dwayne Kalynchuk, the city's director of engineering and public works. "The issue of the trail connect, the issue of rail in or out -- there's a lot of options that make it a little complex."

Gus Pokotylo wandered in from the Mexican festival in Centennial Square. He said clarification was just what he was looking for. "The costs have been escalating and the options seem to be a little unclear," he said.

ishelton@tc.canwest.com