Expect some traffic disruptions over the coming 18 months through Fall 2024 for constructing the new separated walking and cycling pathways on the Granville Street Bridge and removing its looping north ramps on the downtown Vancouver side.

Construction on the bridge will begin this month, following the recent selection of contractors, at a total cost of $48 million, including $9 million for the on-bridge pathway, and $39 million for the removal of the loops and the new replacement ground-level, grid-based street network.

For the pathway, named the “Granville Connector,” this represents the first phase of design to establish a more attractive and safer crossing for pedestrians and cyclists across the bridge. Currently, pedestrians are forced to use narrow sidewalks with little buffer from vehicles.

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Both components of the construction project were approved by two previous Vancouver City Councils, with the last City Council approving an initial partial design due to the much higher cost of fulfilling the complete final design. Significant public consultation was also previously undertaken.

Scope of work for the first phase of the Granville Connector’s pedestrian and cyclist pathways, including the new on-bridge traffic signals. (City of Vancouver)

Existing configuration of the Granville Bridge (top) and the Granville Connector’s configuration changes for Granville Bridge to accommodate pedestrian and cyclist pathways (bottom). (City of Vancouver)

The partial design now being built will set aside the existing space of two vehicle traffic lanes on the west side of the bridge for the pathways. The existing sidewalk and a portion of a road lane will be dedicated to pedestrians, and a bi-directional bike lane will take up about an entire road lane. A concrete barrier will protect the pedestrian and cycling pathways from vehicle traffic.

Granville Bridge’s existing configuration will be narrowed from eight lanes to six lanes for vehicles, with the remaining vehicle lanes also slightly narrowed to help accommodate the space needs of pedestrians and cyclists. A concrete barrier will remain down the middle of the bridge to divide the three vehicle lanes in each direction.

As part of the partial design, on-bridge traffic signals will be installed on both ends of the bridge, where the pedestrian and cycling pathways cross the Howe Street on-ramp and the Fir Street/West 4th Avenue off-ramp, as well as the intersection of Granville Street and West 5th Avenue where the pathways transition onto the Arbutus Greenway.

While the vast majority of the bridge length will have three vehicle lanes in each direction, there will be short segments on both ends of the bridge where Granville Street is permanently narrowed from two lanes in a direction to one lane in a direction.

Existing configuration:

Granville Street bridge looking north towards downtown Vancouver. (Google Earth)

Aerial of Granville Street bridge looking north towards downtown Vancouver. (Google Earth)

Future final condition:

Artistic rendering of the complete final design of the Granville Connector’s pedestrian and cyclist pathways on the Granville Bridge. (City of Vancouver)

Artistic rendering of the complete final design of the Granville Connector’s pedestrian and cyclist pathways on the Granville Bridge. (City of Vancouver)

During construction, at least two vehicle lanes will be maintained on the bridge in each direction to minimize traffic disruptions.

But the traffic disruptions required for the removal of the loops and the construction of the new replacement road network will be far greater: there will be a temporary closure of the Granville Bridge segment between Beach Avenue and Drake Street. During this closure from Summer 2023 to early 2024, all vehicle traffic — including TransLink buses that use the bridge — will be detoured to Howe Street and Seymour Street and their bridge on/off ramps via Davie Street.

The east loop will close over the coming weeks, while the west loop will close in Spring 2023.

Temporary traffic impacts for the removal of Granville Bridge’s north loops. (City of Vancouver)

Detour route of TransLink’s Granville Street buses to accommodate construction and the temporary closure of a segment of Granville Bridge between Summer 2023 and early 2024. (City of Vancouver)

The existing loops provide on- and off-road connections between Pacific Street below and the Granville Bridge. The replacement road network opening in Spring 2024 will re-establish the connection using ground-level roads and traffic signals.

If all goes as planned, the pathway will reach completion and open in Fall 2024.

In July 2022, the previous City Council approved the City staff’s rezoning application to create two acres of developable land by demolishing the loops and creating new grid-based blocks. The approved rezoning allows for six buildings, including four towers up to 40 storeys, with nearly one million sq ft of building floor area and about 1,000 homes. It remains to be seen how and when this development on City-owned land will proceed.

Existing condition:

Aerial of the north loops of the Granville Street Bridge in downtown Vancouver. (Google Earth)

Future condition:

Concept for 625-777 Pacific Street and 1390 Granville Street, replacing the north loops of the Granville Bridge downtown. (City of Vancouver)

Concept for 625-777 Pacific Street and 1390 Granville Street, replacing the north loops of the Granville Bridge downtown. (City of Vancouver)

Concept for 625-777 Pacific Street and 1390 Granville Street, replacing the north loops of the Granville Bridge downtown. (City of Vancouver)

Additional funding in the range of tens of millions of dollars is needed to complete the full final design of the Granville Connector, which entails a rebuild of the west side of the bridge deck to create a single level for the pedestrian and cycling pathways, further improvements to the east side of the bridge for pedestrians, special lighting, and suicide-prevention fencing along both sides of the bridge. City staff have indicated there is no plan for when these additional components could be built but suggested it could be accomplished when more structural work is done.

The 18-month construction project now underway is the most disruptive project to be undertaken on Granville Bridge in years. Previous projects focused on performing major structural and seismic upgrades on the 1954-built crossing, which was originally designed to be a segment of a north-south freeway between downtown Vancouver and Richmond as part of Highway 99.

Interim design of the Granville Bridge Connector, September 2020. (City of Vancouver)

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• Granville Bridge's new pedestrian and cycling pathway and north loops demolition to proceed
• Vancouver City Council approves four towers with 1,000 homes at Granville Bridge's north end
• City of Vancouver to explore banning all vehicles from Granville strip, including buses
• Vancouver City Council to encourage new hotels on the Granville strip
• City planning to guide future Granville Entertainment District revitalization
• Granville Street should be Vancouver's version of NYC's Times Square: City staff