Cambie Bridge seismic upgrades begin in Vancouver this week
Posted August 23, 2021 12:03 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Heads up drivers: seismic upgrades are about to begin on one of Downtown Vancouver’s busiest bridges.
Preliminary work along the Cambie Street Bridge starts this Wednesday, Aug. 25, with structural repairs and lighting upgrades. This entails installation of new lighting along the crossing, with small areas of the bridge expected to be closed intermittently.
Work on the main bridge deck will follow next month, and have impacts on driving, cycling, and pedestrian traffic.
The city says bridge deck work will require closing the sidewalk and cycle lane on one side of the bridge. While people will still be able to walk and bike across the Cambie Bridge on the on-work side, people are being given a heads up in case they’d like to plan an alternate route.
The early stages will still allow two lanes of traffic in each direction. As work progresses, lane closures may come into effect. Impacts between September and December can include reduced speeds, some lane reductions, and temporary closures of on and off ramps, when required.
The Cambie Street Bridge was built in 1985 “before the introduction of more stringent and comprehensive earthquake requirements,” according to the city.
Similar seismic upgrades are being done on the Granville Bridge. That work is expected to be done by mid-September.
