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The New Pattullo Bridge – we want to hear from you!

The New Pattullo Bridge – we want to hear from you!

The existing (old) Pattullo Bridge

Back in July 31, 2008, TransLink’s Board of Directors decided the Pattullo Bridge (built in 1937) needed to be replaced. Designed to last 50 years, the 75-year-old bridge has outlived its projected life.

In terms of modern day safety, structure, seismic and riverbed scour (water that removes sand and rocks from around the bridge piers) factors, the bridge is outdated. Although the existing bridge has exceeded its projected lifespan, it’s still in usable condition, safe and will continue to be monitored until the new bridge has been completed. Once the new Pattullo Bridge is completed, the old one will be dismantled.

Tomorrow, TransLink will begin the public engagement portion of the consultation process for the bridge, which will help determine the future of the New Pattullo Bridge Project. The general objectives for creating this new bridge are the following:

  • Improve safety and reliability for all users (cars, trucks, pedestrians, cyclists and marine traffic)
  • Mitigate the impact on community livability, green space and industrial land
  • Support TransLink’s Transportation Strategy for Metro Vancouver (Transport 2040)

Workshops on a new Pattullo Bridge will include discussions on the new bridge’s location and connections including the Major Road Network and the South Fraser Perimeter Road. There will also be a live streamed webinar on March 8th at 7 p.m., in which I’ll be taking part.

If you have questions about the bridge that you’d like me to address during the webinar, please post them in the comments section.

We have a dedicated Pattullo Bridge page on the TransLink website that has all the details. Here are the essential public consultations dates and times:

Workshop dates:

February 21, 2012
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Centennial Community Centre
65 East 6th Avenue, New Westminster
February 22, 2012
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Surrey City Centre Library
10350 University Drive, Surrey
February 23, 2012
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Inn at the Quay
900 Quayside Drive, New Westminster
February 27, 2012
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Surrey City Centre Library
10350 University Drive, Surrey

Workshop Schedule

6:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Open house

7 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Presentation

7:30 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. – Small group discussion

8:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Small groups report back

If you can’t make the workshops, you can complete an online questionnaire which will be posted here tomorrow. The live webinar is on Thursday, March 8 at 7 p.m. You’ll need to register here to post questions online in real time.

TransLink has been and will continue to work with municipalities connected to the bridge including New Westminister. The New Pattullo Bridge process and New Westminister Master Transportation Plan process are proceeding in parallel.

During the construction process, the existing bridge will continue to be in use up until the day the new bridge opens. Once the new Pattullo Bridge is completed, the old one will be dismantled. Following the extensive consultation process, the design development phase of the project will start, which will include an environmental assessment consultation. Next, a construction team will be selected to complete the bridge by the projected date of 2018.

I encourage everyone to read the FAQ section of the Pattullo Bridge page which has a lot of great content. Your input on the future of the bridge will be crucial, so make sure to post your questions here and mark your calenders with the dates for the public workshops and webinar.

TransLink

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