Get Moving BC

Pattullo Bridge Fire Raises Traffic Fears

News of this morning's fire at the south end of the Pattullo Bridge has spread quickly.

According to Translink, the Pattullo Bridge will be out of commission for the rest of today and tomorrow.

There’s also a distinct possibility the bridge could be out of commission even longer, possibly months.

One of our Get Moving BC supporters travelled to the scene late this morning and spoke to the fire crew on site. They confirmed that the bridge was not driveable and that it would probably not be driveable until the damage is repaired.

The damaged section of the bridge is the 30 to 40 foot section at the south end of the bridge where the bridge joins the King George Highway. Unlike the rest of the Bridge, this 30 to 40 foot section is constructed from wooden beams instead of steel and concrete. According the fire crew, this section of the bridge was scheduled to be replaced in the summer.

It’s definitely frightening to contemplate the traffic chaos that will result from any long-term closure of the Pattullo Bridge, and we certainly hope it doesn’t come to that. As our Get Moving BC Bridge Infrastructure Study demonstrated last September, the Lower Mainland already has an inadequate supply of bridge infrastructure crossing the Fraser River. Losing four traffic lanes will only make things worse and it raises the spectre of “Total Gridlock” for our regional transportation system.

As our Bridge Study also showed, the Vancouver area would have to triple and quadruple the bridge infrastructure crossing the Fraser River just to match what other cities in Western Canada already have on a per capita basis.

Labels: Gateway, Pattullo Bridge, Port Mann Bridge, transportation

posted by Get Moving BC @ 12:54 PM