Folks crossing between New Westminster and Surrey are going to be taking the Pattullo Bridge for at least another year.
B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure issued a news release Friday afternoon stating that two major infrastructure projects in the Lower Mainland had reached milestones – tunnel boring operations have finished on the Broadway subway project and construction of the main tower is complete for the new bridge that will replace the existing Pattullo.
According to the province, the new crossing has the tallest bridge tower in British Columbia.
"Despite facing significant global challenges, we've seen tremendous progress on both of these projects," Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, said the news release. "These projects will move people and goods more quickly and safely around the Lower Mainland."
In the news release, the province said the Pattullo Bridge replacement project started during the early days of the pandemic and has faced “significant” challenges, including inflationary pressures and global supply issues related to the delivery of specialized components from around the world.
“In addition, the bridge tower construction took longer than expected,” said the news release. “As a result, the new bridge is expected to open in fall 2025.”
That’s two years later than originally projected.
When work on the new bridge first began, it was projected to open in 2023. In response to impacts created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the completion date was later changed to 2024.
In late 2022, the project team told the Record construction was “progressing well.” At that time, it had not encountered any surprises on the construction front, but it has had to deal with the expected challenges of building a complex project in a "very constrained, highly urban" area and had to comply with a wide range of environmental requirements.
The Pattullo Bridge replacement project was originally projected to cost $1.4 billion. No updated costs were included in the news release.
The new crossing will replace the Pattullo Bridge, which was built in 1937. Once the new bridge opens, the Pattullo Bridge will be dismantled.
