Pattullo Bridge

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The Pattullo Bridge is a compression arch suspended-deck bridge located in the Greater Vancouver Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. Constructed in 1936-37, it spans the Fraser River and links the city of New Westminster on the north bank of the river to the city of Surrey on the south bank. The Bridge's base is constructed of wood. The bridge forms part of Highways 1A and 99A.

The Pattullo Bridge, which is 1,221 meters (4,006 ft) in total length, consists of four lanes (two in each direction) with no barrier of any sort in the centre, making it highly prone to head-on collisions, especially at excessive speed or bad weather. The province and TransLink have since closed the middle lanes to traffic from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. in an effort to lower the high number of fatal head-on collisions that occur, and installed a series of plastic pillars to raise visibility of the centre lane divider. On January 2, 2006, four people were killed in a T-bone collision between two cars on the southern approach lane.

In response to the high number of crashes that take place on the bridge, TransLink is studying the idea of reducing the number of lanes on the bridge from four to three utilizing a counterflow operation. This arrangement is similar to what is being used on the Lions Gate Bridge with the number of lanes being varied depending on traffic flow and volume. A second key and more controversial proposal, is to install photo radar on the bridge to enforce the existing speed limit. Thus far, the provincial government have ruled out the idea of photo radar being brought back.^[1]

Its appearance of dark orange colour and arch shape highly resembles the Port Mann Bridge, located just a few kilometres upstream. The bridge was named for Thomas Dufferin Pattullo, former premier of British Columbia.

[edit] See also

• List of crossings of the Fraser River

[edit] References

v • d • e Bridges and Tunnels in Greater Vancouver Road bridges Alex Fraser Bridge · Arthur Laing Bridge · Burrard Street Bridge · Cambie Street Bridge · Colebrook Viaduct · Deering Island Bridge · Dinsmore Bridge · Dollarton Bridge · Georgia Viaduct · Golden Ears Bridge · Grandview Viaduct · 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 Annacis Bridge · CNR Bridge · Marpole Bridge · Middle Arm Bridge · New Westminster Bridge · North Arm Bridge · Pitt River Swing 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 New Westminster Bridge Pattullo Bridge Downstream Skybridge

Coordinates: 49°12′27″N 122°53′41″W / 49.207575, -122.894654 (Pattullo Bridge)