[wahyinghung]

SURREY - A new 10-lane Port Mann bridge will be completed by December 2012, one year earlier than first expected, Premier Gordon Campbell announced during a campaign stop at the bridge Friday.

Campbell said the new bridge will help ease congestion in the Lower Mainland.

The capital cost of the bridge is expected to be $2.4 billion.

Campbell had initially said his government was going to build the bridge as a public-private partnership, but the government stepped in to fund the entire deal when it could not reach a deal with private sector investors.

Campbell made the Port Mann Bridge announcement as he spent the day Friday highlighting the investments his government has made throughout the Lower Mainland in roads, bridges and transit.

"We've invested literally billions in the last few years in improving the transportation infrastructure, not just for transit, but for goods movement," Campbell said while standing on the nearly finished $198 million Pitt River Bridge.

"The NDP candidate, when we announced this in 2005, said this was a pipe dream," he said of the bridge, taking aim at New Democratic Party incumbent for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, Michael Sather.

"This is the pipe dream come true," Campbell said.

"It's actually providing services for people in an area of the province that has tripled in population in the last [15] years," he added.

The Pitt River Bridge is in the riding of Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, which this year is a rematch between Sather, and Liberal candidate Ken Stewart. In 2005, Sather defeated Stewart by 925 votes.

On Friday, Campbell said traffic will start crossing the Pitt River bridge by the fall.
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Port+Mann+bridge+will+finished+year+ahead+schedule/1507622/story.html

[tiger_handheld]

so are they making hwy 1 - 10lanes ? if yes , that is super cool! it'll be like the autobahn!

if no, its gonna be worse than before :(

[orange7]

why is it 2+3+3+2?

shouldn't it be 5+5?

[Volvo-brickster]

Pffffff

This promise will expire the day after the provincial election.

[skyxx]

^ WOW that's a good thing cause I thought it already expired.....

[Raid3n]

why is it 2+3+3+2?

shouldn't it be 5+5?

because by the looks of it they are just tacking on 2 more lanes on the outside of the existing bridge.

[RRxtar]

because by the looks of it they are just tacking on 2 more lanes on the outside of the existing bridge.
i never knew the port mann bridge....

http://bctransit.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/portmann.jpg

...... was a cable stayed bridge...

http://suspensiondomes.com/essays/hybrid_designs/graphics/cable_stayed_bridge.jpg

.... like it looks in this picture of the new port mann..

http://shopdrawings.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/port-mann-bridge-shop-drawings1.jpg

[hal0g0dv2]

sounds cool, cant wait to jump off

[misteranswer]

why is it 2+3+3+2?

shouldn't it be 5+5?

I'm not a traffic engineer, but my guess is to prevent accidents from completely taking over the bridge.

In addition, I hear anything bigger than 7 lanes in one direction will actually slow traffic because of all the weaving. So perhaps they think splitting it into 2 would be more efficient.

[DavidNguyen]

GREAT! i will have to pay the tolls a year earlier =S

[iEatClams]

I'm not a traffic engineer, but my guess is to prevent accidents from completely taking over the bridge.

In addition, I hear anything bigger than 7 lanes in one direction will actually slow traffic because of all the weaving. So perhaps they think splitting it into 2 would be more efficient.

thats basically the reasoning.

as a person living in surrey - this is good fucking news!

[iEatClams]

^ about the opening 1 year earlier that is

[fliptuner]

How the fuck can someone say it's going to be completed a year early before construction's even started? That's just retarded. There are way to many factors to take into consideration to even make that statement.

Also, looking at the pics, they plan on continuing the HOV lane on the left - that's completely useless too. Slower traffic crossing 2 lanes to get into "their" lane and do the limit, only to cross the same 2 lanes to exit is just plain stupid. They need to educate and enforce people to only pass on the left lanes - it's common sense.

[JesseBlue]

i'd rather want to see some light rail that i keep on hearing on the news and on the newspaper...i would love to walk to a station and get anywhere and drive just at night or at weekends

[murd0c]

i never knew the port mann bridge....

http://bctransit.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/portmann.jpg

...... was a cable stayed bridge...

http://suspensiondomes.com/essays/hybrid_designs/graphics/cable_stayed_bridge.jpg

.... like it looks in this picture of the new port mann..

http://shopdrawings.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/port-mann-bridge-shop-drawings1.jpg

I believe the bottom one is the golden ears bridge if not WOW it looks like it

[hk20000]

*hands up* so they are building a bridge adjacent to the existing bridge and reroute hwy1 onto it? Or during the construction there will be no bridge at all?

If it's going to be adjacent to the existing bridge I call 1/8 mile drag race events held on the old bridge after completion of the new one. ROFL.

Boats aren't going to complain about noise and if someone swerves off the lanes he's into the sea, no public safety threat there.

[slammer111]

*hands up* so they are building a bridge adjacent to the existing bridge and reroute hwy1 onto it? Or during the construction there will be no bridge at all?

If it's going to be adjacent to the existing bridge I call 1/8 mile drag race events held on the old bridge after completion of the new one. ROFL.

Boats aren't going to complain about noise and if someone swerves off the lanes he's into the sea, no public safety threat there.Actually that would be a GREAT idea, but who's going to pay for deck maintenance?

If you wanted 1/8 or 1/4 mile, I hate to say it, but most people would probably just pick one of the major roads in Richmond like Alderbridge between Garden City and No.4.

[tgill]

I believe the bottom one is the golden ears bridge if not WOW it looks like it
that is not the golden ears that is the new portmann
golden ears:
http://www.goldenearsbridge.ca/upload/images/Gallery/Large/lrgBrdgAerial.jpg
http://www.goldenearsbridge.ca/upload/images/Gallery/Large/lrgGEBfromNrth.jpg
portmann:
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.vancouversun.com/port+mann+bridge+will+finished+year+ahead+schedule/1507622/1507628.bin?size=620x400

[Alatar]

Guess I'll be driving through Poco/Maple Ridge then taking HWY 11 up to HWY 1 after, or going via 99 then through Langley to get to the Valley, when I head East from now on. :)

[KinseySS]

why is it 2+3+3+2?

shouldn't it be 5+5?

I believe the 2 lanes on each side will either be HOV/Bus lanes or Trucking lanes or whatever the hell they got planned.

It's funny their saying it will be done a year early especially when it's no where near construction phase. Everything right now is mostly prep work and anything can happen from now till then that will delay construction. So who knows in a couple years they'll say it will be a year late.

Then there's the possibility the NDP will come in power and cancel the project all together.

[Krayzie135]

i like how they made the ramp upto the bridge freaking LONG,this way those slow asses have time to speed up...which is a good thing

http://www.goldenearsbridge.ca/upload/images/Gallery/Large/lrgGEBfromNrth.jpg

[iEatClams]

i like how they made the ramp upto the bridge freaking LONG,this way those slow asses have time to speed up...which is a good thing

http://www.goldenearsbridge.ca/upload/images/Gallery/Large/lrgGEBfromNrth.jpg

+ 1 ,

Alex fraser is the worst for that. Right after they merge from Nordel way onto the bridge on that right lane, you need to speed the fuck up!!! I see soo many people still driving 40-50 km/hr after that right turn to merge onto the Alex Fraser. People need to speed up to AT LEAST 70-80km since they get that right lane all to themselves. FUCK!!!!!!

[RRxtar]

this is sort of relevant.

comparing the golden ears bridge with the alex fraser

http://www.goldenearsbridge.ca/upload/images/bridge-diagram_large.jpg