Just one of four lanes will open on the new Stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge on Wednesday (Dec. 24), keeping a B.C. government promise to have vehicles use the Pattullo Bridge replacement by Christmas but falling short of what some might consider an “open” bridge.
More work and time is needed to fully open the Surrey-New Westminster connector, a $1.6-billion project hit with construction delays and questions about the size of the new bridge (some want six lanes, not four) and its new name (which isn’t popular with everyone).
For now, one lane on the new bridge will allow vehicles to travel northbound from King George Boulevard in Surrey to E. Columbia Street on the New West side. An exact time of Wednesday’s lane-opening wasn’t announced.
All lanes remain open on the old bridge, which is about half the width of the new one, which includes a centre median barrier.
Traffic will be switched to Stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge in phases, to allow for completion of the tie-ins to existing roadways on either side, according to a project update on pattullobridgereplacement.ca.
“Subsequent phases will begin in January and involve various lane configurations, including a one-week closure of both bridges anticipated in mid to late January,” the website adds. “This work is weather dependent, and specific dates will be communicated when they are confirmed.”
On the Surrey side the new Highway 17 off-ramp, as well as multi-use paths and sidewalks, will be completed in mid-2026, as the work can’t be done until Pattullo Bridge has been partially removed.
As for the New West side, the new Royal Avenue on-ramp and new Columbia Street loop-ramp will open in phases as they can’t be completed until sections of the connecting roadways and Pattullo Bridge have been removed. A local closure of Columbia Street between McBride Boulevard and Elliot Street, for approximately one month, will be required to deconstruct Pattullo Bridge and build the new Columbia loop-ramp.
Once Stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge is open, the old Pattullo span will be torn down over a two-year period.
The Stal̕əw̓asəm name for the new four-lane bridge was announced Dec. 8 in recognition of “First Nations’ deep historical and current connections to the area,” according to B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Transit. The name, pronounced STALL-oh-AW-sum, translates to “place to view the river” in the Indigenous halkomelem (hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓) language.
Pattullo Bridge, opened in 1937, was named after Thomas Dufferin “Duff” Pattullo, B.C. Premier from 1933 to 1941.
Fraser Crossing Partners was awarded the contract to design and build the replacement bridge. The B.C. government will own and maintain Stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge.