Victoria voters will decide in a referendum whether this old bridge will be repaired or replaced. (CBC)

A group of citizens in Victoria has forced a public vote on whether to build a new bridge downtown.

The group gathered close to 10,000 signatures calling for a referendum on borrowing $42 million to replace the Johnson Street Bridge.

Provincial laws require municipalities to hold a referendum if enough eligible voters demand it.

However, Victoria city councillors went one step further by also agreeing to reconsider whether to replace or repair the aging lift bridge.

"We're going to take more time to engage with the public, be open to information that's coming forward," said Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin.

That's good news for Ross Crockford, who led the citizens' group.

But he remains skeptical about how the city will involve the public this time around.

"How you get a read on what the public wants is a challenge for all politicians all the time, so it will be really interesting to see how they do that here," he said.

Crockford said he hopes the city will take the initiative in seeking out more information, instead of relying on groups like his to provide it.

However, Fortin warned the new process means the city could lose the federal government's funding contribution to the project.

"We have an agreement for $21 million with the federal government to build a new bridge," he said.

"We have that and we have to expend those funds by 2016. If we would like to try a different option, we would have to go back and re-apply. That money is not guaranteed."

Fortin said it could be as long as one year before a referendum is held.