Golden Ears Bridge
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This article or section contains information about a bridge currently under construction. It may contain information of a speculative nature, and the content may change dramatically as construction progresses and new information becomes available. |
The Golden Ears Bridge is a new six-lane cable-stayed bridge to be built in Langley and Maple Ridge, British Columbia, crossing the Fraser River. The new bridge, owned by TransLink, will span one kilometre, have a clearance of 40 metres and create 13 kilometres of new road. It will have direct connections to Lougheed Highway, Maple Meadows Way, 113B Avenue, 200th Street, 176th Street (Highway 15) and the Trans-Canada Highway. The Golden Ears Bridge is slated to open in late June of 2009 and has a fixed total construction cost of $808 million (CAD).
The project was named through a community process and reflects the well-known lower Fraser Valley landmark, the Golden Ears peaks, which crown Mount Blanshard in Golden Ears Provincial Park. The successful submission to name the bridge was that of George Tabert, a local pastor.
The opening of the bridge will be followed by the cessation of the Albion Ferry, a passenger/vehicle ferry that has been operational since 7 June 1957 and employs 59 full-time and 18 auxiliary employees. In 2003, annual traffic amounted to 1.5 million vehicles and 4.0 million passengers.
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[edit] Timeline
[edit] 2004
- August 6 - Environmental certification was received[1]
- September 15 - TransLink and the Katzie First Nation signed a Benefit Agreement
- November - The Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Act was amended to allow for tolling
[edit] 2005
- January - A Request for Proposals was issued for the design, construction, operation, maintenance and rehabilitation
- February 16 - A bylaw governing tolling was passed by TransLink[2]
- June 22 - TransLink and the four municipalities (Langley, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Surrey) finalized the Golden Ears Bridge Master Municipal Agreement[3]
- December 7 - TransLink selected Golden Crossing Group as the proponent to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the bridge.[4]
[edit] 2006
[edit] 2007
- March 28 - Construction is halted as a fire destroys $205,000 worth of material on the bridge in the early morning.
[edit] 2009
[edit] Tolls
The new bridge will use an electronic tolling system to track vehicles that cross to recover construction costs. Tolls have not been used in the Lower Mainland since the 1960s when they were removed from all bridges.
- Drivers will have the option of opening a tolling account. This will include an electronic tolling device, or transponder, to be mounted on the vehicle's windshield. It will detect usage of the bridge, allowing toll charges to be automatically billed to the driver's account, streamlining the tolling process.
- Vehicles without an electronic tolling device will have their license plates identified through an automated video recognition system, and will be billed accordingly. Drivers of such vehicles will also have the option to pay for their trip in advance by establishing a temporary account with a credit card, and will pay a lower toll rate than if they did not establish such an account.[6]
[edit] Toll Rates (2003)
| Type of Vehicle | Toll-Device | Pre-paid | Without a toll device |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car | $2.50 | $3.00 | $3.50 |
| Truck or bus | $5.00 | $5.50 | $6.00 |
| Large truck | $7.50 | $8.00 | $8.50 |
| Motorcycle | $1.25 | $1.75 | $2.25 |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Golden Ears Bridge receives EAO certification. Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink) (2004-08-06). Retrieved on August 6, 2006.
- ^ TransLink Board Meeting Minutes (PDF) 3. Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink) (2005-02-16). Retrieved on August 6, 2006.
- ^ TransLink and four municipalities finalize Golden Ears Bridge agreement. Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink) (2005-06-22). Retrieved on August 6, 2006.
- ^ TransLink Selects Preferred Proponent for Golden Ears Bridge. Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink) (2005-12-07). Retrieved on August 6, 2006.
- ^ a b Construction on Golden Ears Bridge is officially launched. Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink) (2006-06-29). Retrieved on August 6, 2006.
- ^ Project Funding. Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink). Retrieved on August 6, 2006.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official Golden Ears project page
- Detailed alignment map (PDF)
- Structurae: Golden Ears Bridge
- Golden Ears Bridge Project at Buckland and Taylor
- GVTA News Release on the naming of the Golden Ears Bridge.
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| Road bridges | Alex Fraser Bridge • Arthur Laing Bridge • Burrard Street Bridge • Cambie Street Bridge • Deering Island Bridge • Dinsmore Bridge • Dollarton Bridge • Georgia Viaduct • Golden Ears Bridge • Granville Street Bridge • Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing • Knight Street Bridge • Lions' Gate Bridge • Moray Bridge • No. 2 Road Bridge • Oak Street Bridge • Pattullo Bridge • Pitt River Bridge • Port Mann Bridge • Queensborough Bridge • Sea Island Bridge • Westham Island Bridge |
| Road-rail bridges | Derwent Way Bridge |
| Rail bridges | CNR Bridge • Fraser River Swing Bridge • Marpole Bridge • Middle Arm Bridge • North Arm Bridge • Second Narrows Bridge • Skybridge |
| Pedestrian bridges | Capilano Suspension Bridge • Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge |
| Road tunnels | Cassiar Tunnel • George Massey Tunnel |
| Rail tunnels | B.C. Railway Tunnel • CNR Tunnel • Douglas Tunnel • Dunsmuir Tunnel • Lonsdale Tunnel |
| Crossings of the Fraser River | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Upstream Albion Ferry |
Golden Ears Bridge |
Downstream Port Mann Bridge  |
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