NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS1130) – It’s old and needs to be replaced but transportation experts insist the Pattullo Bridge is safe to drive over right now.
    
This after the aging span was closed for the weekend so crews could pave portions of it.

“The bridge is 75 years old.  It’s 25 years past its design life,” says TransLink‘s senior project manager Darren Woodworth.  “The seismic requirements of a bridge designed today are much different than what the Pattullo Bridge was designed for.  As a result, the Pattullo Bridge would not meet current seismic codes.”

Despite its age, Woodworth says the bridge is safe to use and the weekend repairs were not meant to address earthquake concerns.  

“The short-term repairs we did over the weekend were specifically for pavement,” he says.  “They were not for seismic, they were not to address any foundation challenges we have.  They were not to address the narrow lanes or the fact there’s no centre median to protect from head-on collisions and no separated medians to protect cyclists and pedestrians.”

Woodward says their long-term goal is to build a new bridge in the next few years.  

“We’re shooting for 2018, and we’re very happy that we’re working very well with the cities of New Westminster and Surrey as well as the Ministry of Transportation to look at practical solutions and ways that we can look at replacing this bridge.  We’re also looking at all options that are on the table.”

Some people in New Westminster have complained they don’t want a new bridge bringing even more traffic into the Royal City.