Deck panel installation for the US$1.03 billion Pattullo Suspension Bridge replacement project in the Vancouver area is nearing completion, with concrete pours being planned.
The bridge crosses the Fraser River and links the cities of New Westminster and Surrey in Metro Vancouver,
For several weeks, crews have been installing concrete deck panels, steel girders and stay cables outward from the bridge tower. The connection of the south approach and main span was recently completed, marking the creation of a continuous bridge deck from the bridge tower into Surrey.
Crews are working on bridge finishes, including fencing, utilities, barriers and expansion joint installation, which will be followed by asphalt paving later this summer.
When the four-lane toll-free bridge opens this autumn, the existing 1.3km-long four-lane old bridge will be removed. The bridge was opened in 1937 and had no median space between the opposing traffic flow, leading to many head-on crashes.
Fraser Crossing Partners – a joint partnership between Acciona Infrastructure Canada and Aecon Group – have designed and are constructing the bridge. The contract includes construction of road connections at the bridgeheads in New Westminster and Surrey. Its will include pedestrian access and allow for future widening from four to six lanes.
Construction of the new bridge was expected to take place between 2019 and 2023, with the CAN$1.3 billion funding finalised in 2018. However, work started at the beginning of the pandemic, in February 2020. According to the provincial British Columbia government, the project has faced significant challenges, including inflationary pressures and global supply issues related to the delivery of specialised components from around the world. In addition, the bridge tower construction took longer than expected, pushing back the completion date.
The official name of the bridge has yet to be decided, but the name will be in Halkomelem, the language of the local First Nations people upon whose land the bridge stands. The name will be decided jointly by Musqueam First Nation and Kwantlen First Nation groups.
The new bridge is funded and owned by the province of BC while the Transportation Investment Corporation (TI Corp) is responsible for managing the delivery of the Project. The BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will be responsible for, and maintain, the new bridge once completed.
For Videos and images of construction progress, click here.
