New Pattullo Bridge begins to rise in the Fraser River (PHOTOS) | Daily Hive

New replacement Pattullo Bridge begins to rise in the Fraser River (PHOTOS)

December 2022 construction progress on the new Pattullo Bridge. (Government of BC)

There is now real visual progress on the construction project to build a new replacement structure for the Pattullo Bridge.

As of this week, formwork and concrete pours for the main bridge tower in the middle of the Fraser River have reached 10 of the 33 “segment jumps,” with each segment being an increment of five metres.

The ultimate height of this main tower will reach 167 metres (548 ft) — taller than the Port Mann Bridge. To access this in-river construction site, crews built a temporary pier jutting out into the river from the Surrey shoreline, allowing equipment, materials, and workers to maneuver with ease.

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With this stage of progress on the main tower’s ascent, crews are now able to work on the lower cross beam to support the bridge deck.

The columns of the piers on both the New Westminster and Surrey sides of the new suspension bridge are also starting to make their way upwards from their foundations.

pattullo bridge construction december 2022

December 2022 construction progress on the new Pattullo Bridge. (Government of BC)

The new structure’s roadway will link with upgraded on-land road connections of the existing bridge, and there will be a new off-ramp linking the bridge deck’s southbound direction with the westbound direction of Highway 17 (South Fraser Perimeter Road).

The provincial government has indicated the new bridge is still on target to reach its scheduled completion and opening in 2024.

The new replacement four-lane crossing is being built at a cost of about $1.38 billion. It will have wider vehicle lanes compared to the existing bridge, a concrete barrier separating the northbound and southbound directions, and pedestrian and cyclist pathways.

Artistic rendering of the new Pattullo Bridge. (Fraser Crossing Partners)

Artistic rendering of the final 2020 design for the new Pattullo Bridge. (Government of BC)

Upon opening, the provincial government’s contractor, Acciona Infrastructure Canada and Aecon Group Inc., will shift their activity towards demolishing the 1937-built bridge just to the west. Due to its deteoriation, the existing structure has been deemed highly vulnerable and unsafe — it could see a structural failure from a modest earthquake, powerful windstorm, or even a ship strike to its unprotected piers.

Construction on the new crossing first began in Spring 2021.

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