Burrard Street Bridge, Vancouver
This vehicular bridge "guards" the entrance to False Creek, home to marinas, Granville Island, Science World and numerous restaurants. Presently there is debate over dedicating a portion of the bridge to bicycle traffic. More than a decade ago there was another bridge, just east of the Burrard Street Bridge. This bridge, the Kerrisdale railway trestle, was torn down. It is to be seen in some of the older photographs on this page.

                                

Granville Street Bridge, Vancouver
The Granville Street Bridge is one of the major thoroughfares into the downtown peninsula. It sweeps across Granville Island and False Creek. Recent seismic upgrading has secured the trusswork to the supporting pillars. Visitors to the city may not be so enamoured with this bridge if they have to reclaim a vehicle from the city impound lot located beneath the northern approaches.

                               

Port Mann Bridge, Coquitlam-Surrey BC
This graceful steel arch, once the third-longest of its kind in the world, carries the Trans-Canada highway across the Fraser River. In 2002 its capacity was increased with the addition of an eastbound high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, bringing the total to five. 

        

Lion's Gate Bridge, Vancouver-North Vancouver BC
This jewel of Vancouver's bridges is both loved and cursed. Its three traffic lanes, the centre lane being switchable according to demand, are often said to be an anachronism. In 2002 a drawn-out rehabilitation project was finally completed with all components, other than the two towers and the main support cables, having been replaced. This includes the entire deck superstructure. The net result is smoother traffic flow along wider lanes, although the total remains at three. Shots of the full bridge in this collection are taken from West Vancouver's Ambleside Park.

                   

Castle Park-Citadel Landing Pedestrian Bridge, Port Coquitlam BC
This graceful arch structure opened in July 2002. It crosses the busy Mary Hill Bypass, carrying pedestrians from Castle Park in the Citadel Heights residential area to riverfront developments. In a previous era, this portion of Mary Hill was mined for its gravel, most of it being used in the development of Vancouver International airport in 1968.

Johnson Street Bridge, Victoria BC
Although not in Vancouver, this entrancing bascule-type bridge is located in the provincial capital. The bridge consists of two separate spans, one for road traffic, the other for the nearby terminus of the venerable E & N (Esquimalt and Nanaimo) Railway.

    

Railway "Bridge", New Westminster BC
This isn't a bridge that is easily defined. Although these photographs were taken in 1981 precious little has changed here. The track is used by Canadian National Railways and by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), the only railway still using cabooses in this part of Canada. Because of vandalism, open car vehicle transporters such as those shown here have all been replaced by enclosed cars.

   

CPR Bridge, Coquitlam River, Port Coquitlam BC
This 1981 photograph shows the CPR mainline where it crosses the Coquitlam River. The vehicular bridge on the right has now been replaced by a concrete beam structure. The train bridge has had a box girder bridge attached to the left to carry the West Coast Express, a commuter train.




Red Bridge, Coquitlam River, Port Coquitlam BC
This bridge was destroyed by an impaired driver whose vehicle damaged one of the "x" members. The new "Red Bridge" is a four-lane concrete structure.

   


Silver Bridge, South Alouette River, Pitt Meadows BC

Iron Workers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, Vancouver BC

    


Patullo Bridge, New Westminster-Surrey BC
Generally considered to be the most dangerous bridge in the lower Fraser Valley, not because of its structure but because of the narrow lanes and the lack of a separator or barrier between the facing lanes. Named after a former premier of the province. To the left, or upstream, is the CN/Burlington Northern railway bridge with its swing centre. In 1986 a cable stayed bridge was built slightly downstream to carry Skytrain, this region's form of rapid transit from New Westminster to Surrey.

        


Skytrain: Skytrain Bridge, New Westminster-Surrey BC, Miscellaneous Skytrain
This particularly graceful cable-stayed bridge was built in 1986 for Skytrain, the rapid transit project that opened for Expo 86.

                                           


Alex Fraser Bridge, New Westminster-Delta BC
Probably the most striking bridge in the region, named for a former provincial Minister of Highways, the Alex Fraser provided a long-sought additional crossing of the south arm of the Fraser River

                           

Bridges still to be photographed:
Arthur Laing Bridge (to YVR)
Knight Street Bridge
Cambie Street Bridge
Oak Street Bridge
Clark Drive Railway Overpass
Various Skytrain overpasses

Unless indicated as otherwise, all images on this page are copyright 1981-, Peter. L. Vogel. Photographs were either taken digitally (Espon PhotoPC 600, Epson 850, Canon S40 or with slide film (Canon AE-1 with Kodachrome, slides scanned). 

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