For some, it was starting to feel like a day that would never come.
According to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Simon Fraser Bridge will fully open this weekend.
Work on the project began in the spring of 2022 and was only supposed to last a few months until the fall.
The project was delayed multiple times, first over the winter into summer of 2023, then into October 2023, and now the year’s very end.
According to the Ministry, upgrades include “a full deck replacement and strengthening of the truss for the southbound bridge. An increase in height clearance will match the adjacent northbound crossing, which will allow for the passage of taller transport vehicles on the Ferry Avenue underpass,” as well as widening the shoulders and replacing bridge railings.
“Making this passage safer and more reliable has a huge impact on the people that rely on this crossing to get to and from their work and families,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “It also means our northern industries have better options for transport. The Simon Fraser Bridge is a historic crossing, and modernizing this structure means all travellers in the North can count on this passage long into the future.”
The bridge was first built in 1963 and was twinned in 2009.
An estimated 18,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day.
The project’s budget was initially set at $20.5 million. Despite the delays, the Ministry said it maintained that budget.
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