The Pattullo Bridge replacement project hopes second time’s a charm for work on the Royal Avenue overpass.
A number of road closures were intended to be in effect from Friday, April 28 until Monday, May 1 so crews could remove the existing 600-ton overpass on Royal Avenue near McBride Boulevard and replace it with a new overpass. However, an equipment issue with the self-propelling modular transporter forced the overpass deck replacement to be postponed.
The project team has announced the work is now scheduled to take place on the Victoria Day long weekend. Over the long weekend, Royal Avenue (near the Pattullo Bridge) and the northbound lanes on the Pattullo Bridge (heading from Surrey to New Westminster) will be closed.
The work will take place from Friday, May 19 at 7 a.m. until Tuesday, May 23 at 5 a.m. The following detour routes will be provided during the weekend closures:
Royal Avenue eastbound: The Royal Avenue on-ramp to the Pattullo Bridge will remain open. Eastbound through traffic will be detoured to Columbia Street via Sixth Street.
Bridge Connector southbound: During the Bridge Connector closure, southbound traffic will be detoured to Columbia Street via McBride Boulevard. The on-street parking on McBride Boulevard (north of Royal Avenue) will be temporarily removed to accommodate two-way traffic. The Columbia Street on-ramp to the Pattullo Bridge will remain open.
McBride Boulevard northbound: Left turns from McBride Boulevard onto Royal Avenue will only be permitted for local traffic accessing Leopold Place. There will be no access onto Royal Avenue from Bushby Street.
Pedestrians and cyclists: The temporary pedestrian bridge on Royal Avenue will be closed due to safety precautions. Pedestrians and cyclists will be detoured to the Central Valley Greenway via First Street and McBride Boulevard.
Because the northbound lanes on the Pattullo Bridge will be closed to allow the work to take place, motorists are encouraged to take the Port Mann or Alex Fraser bridges during the closure. Northbound N19 NightBus trips will be rerouted over the Queensborough and Alex Fraser bridges, and affected customers are being warned to plan for an additional 30 minutes of travel time.
The Pattullo Bridge replacement project team stated that local bus routes that use Royal Avenue may also be impacted during the weekend closure, so transit users should check the TransLink Trip Planner for more information and updated schedules.
During a recent presentation to city council, the project manager noted that a series of road closures will be required in New West in the coming months as part of the Pattullo Bridge replacement project. The new crossing will open sometime in 2024.
