All four lanes of the stal̕əw̓asəm bridge connecting Surrey and New Westminster opened to traffic Saturday morning (Feb. 14).
Workers removed the cones blocking the four lanes at 6:45 a.m., and the bridge opened to vehicles travelling from Surrey to New Westminster. Fifteen minutes later, at 7 a.m., the Royal Ave on-ramp opened in New Westminster, noted a Black Press Freelancer at the scene.
The old Pattullo Bridge is now permanently closed to vehicles, ending an era of travel over the Fraser River.
The two bridges had closed for a week while workers completed connections to roadways on both sides of the new span, linking Surrey and New Westminster.
The removal of the Pattullo bridge is expected to start later this month and will take about two years, the government said.
On Dec. 24, one of four lanes opened on the stal̕əw̓asəm, 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.
The $1.6-billion project was 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).
The stal̕əw̓asəm name for the new 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. More details are posted on pattullobridgereplacement.ca.