Overnight closures on Pattullo could delay drivers as new bridge opening nears
The grand opening for the stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge between Surrey and New Westminster is drawing near, and drivers and commuters are being warned of overnight closures coming to the bridge that it will be replacing.
TransLink has released an alert stating that the Pattullo Bridge will be closed northbound into New West on Thursday, Dec. 18, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
It will then be fully closed in both directions on Friday, Dec. 19, for the same overnight hours.
Fall 2025 construction progress on the new Pattullo Bridge. (Government of BC)
“These closures are needed to install support structures for three new traffic signs,” said TransLink in its release. “The overhead directional signs will be installed on both sides of King George Boulevard in Surrey.
“Heavy equipment, including cranes and construction vehicles, will be blocking traffic lanes on the existing bridge. Electrical work will also require a shutdown of the current bridge’s seismic monitoring system.”
TransLink is advising drivers who need to use the Pattullo Bridge to take the Port Mann or Alex Fraser bridges. N19 NightBus riders will be rerouted over the Alex Fraser and Queensborough bridges between New West and Scott Road stations.
“There will be signage to indicate all traffic pattern changes and traffic control personnel will be on-site,” added TransLink. “Rerouted drivers and transit users should plan for up to 30 minutes of additional travel time.”
Government of B.C.
These closures come as the opening of the stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge is just about a week away, on Christmas Eve 2025.
stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge will officially open on Dec. 24, 2025, with a phased opening process — partial vehicle traffic flowing on the new crossing.
On this day, westbound traffic will be transplanted onto one lane of the new four-lane bridge, while the old four-lane bridge will continue to carry eastbound traffic.
Before the Christmas Eve opening, there will be a scheduled full closure of the old bridge to enable work to be done for the initial switch of the road connections at both sides of the Fraser River in New Westminster and Surrey. Both crossings will temporarily close a few weeks after mid-January 2026 to enable additional traffic movement phases to be implemented.
Then, in February 2026, after additional road connections are in place, the 1937-built bridge will permanently close, with decommissioning and demolition work beginning immediately. At this juncture, all traffic will be shifted onto the new bridge.
With files from Kenneth Chan