Pattullo Bridge replacement on time with a $1.4-billion price tag

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — The Lower Mainland’s newest crossing of the Fraser River is going to be on time and on budget, according to B.C.’s premier.

John Horgan says people in the Lower Mainland depend on the bridge, which has needed to be replaced for years. The new bridge will have four-lanes that are wider than the current bridge, “to have full passenger, foot passenger, and bicycle infrastructure on either side,” he says. “In the event of expansion in the community, the bridge can go to six-lanes.”

The new bridge is scheduled to be open by fall 2023 and cost about $1.4-billion dollars.

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Horgan reaffirmed an NDP promise the bridge will be toll-free making “life more affordable” for commuters.

“Safer, easier, toll-free commutes is what our government is dedicated to. Dedicated walking and cycling lanes will be an integral part of this bridge and overall better connections in the Lower Mainland,” he says.

The contract to replace the bridge, worth about $967.5-million, was awarded to Fraser Crossing Partners. It hasn’t been indicated if or when the old bridge will have to be closed to build the new one.

Meanwhile, the Surrey Board of Trade’s CEO says it isn’t too late to build a six-lane bridge.

“We need to build transportation infrastructure for future population growth. By 2050, an additional 1.3 million people are expected to move into the Metro Vancouver region,” says Anita Huberman. “The Pattullo Bridge is only one part of transit and transportation options that are desperately needed in Surrey, and in the South Fraser Economic Region.”