Golden Gate idea becomes $70 million BC bridge construction project

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The federal and BC governments are preparing to spend $70 million to copy an idea from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to create an additional lane on the Alex Fraser Bridge between Delta and New Westminster.

The moveable barrier on the bridge across the Fraser River on Highway 91 will become a counter flow with the direction of travel changing between the morning and afternoon rush hours.

BC Transport minister Todd Stone said the additional lane will go to tender this spring and construction will begin as soon as a contractor is chosen.

The federal government is allocating almost $34 million and the province a little more than $36 million for the project.

The new bridge lane is expected to reduce the morning commute by about six minutes and the afternoon commute by 12 to 16 minutes.

The moveable barrier used in California consists of steel barriers filled with concrete which are shifted with a special vehicle from one side of the lane to the other, like a zipper.

The new bridge lane is expected to reduce the morning commute by about six minutes and the afternoon commute by 12 to 16 minutes.

The federal government is putting up almost $34 million and the province just over $36 million.

Stone said the additional lane will be tendered this spring and construction will begin as soon as a contractor is chosen. The project is expected to be complete in spring 2018.

A new interchange is also being built at Highway 91 and 72nd Ave., about six kilometres south of the bridge. Construction is already under way on the $30-million interchange and should be finished by the end of this year, The Vancouver Sun has reported.

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