The bridge crosses the Fraser River between Coquitlam and Surrey in British Columbia, Canada. Its overall length is 2,020m, including an 820m north approach and one of 360m to the south. Its cable-stayed section has a main span of 470m and a total length of 850m.
Crews will keep working to complete the bridge to its full 10-lane capacity and continue highway widening and interchange improvements through Coquitlam, Burnaby and Vancouver. The remaining two lanes of the final 10-lane crossing can only now be finished off as their alignment interacts with the existing steel tied arch bridge’s route at the approaches.
"This is the day we've been waiting for, as the new Port Mann Bridge officially opens to eight lanes of traffic and motorists can start to save some valuable time on their commutes," said transportation and infrastructure minister Mary Polak. "It's a day almost a decade in the making, from the first consultation to the final line painting, and I want to thank everyone who has laboured on this project."
Some drivers can expect to cut their commutes in half, and save as much as an hour per day.
The on-time and on-budget opening of the new Port Mann Bridge is a major milestone for the Port Mann / Highway 1 Improvement Project, and the centrepiece of 37km of upgrades to one of British Columbia's most important economic corridors.
