Port Mann Bridge - Replacement

Replacement

On January 31, 2006, the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation introduced the Gateway Program highway expansion program as a means to address growing congestion. The project originally envisioned twinning the Port Mann Bridge by building a second bridge adjacent to it but the project was changed to building a 10-lane replacement bridge, planned to be the widest in the world, and demolishing the original bridge.

The PMH1 project added another HOV lane and provided cycling access. A bus service was re-introduced over the Port Mann Bridge for the first time in over 20 years. However, critics claimed that the new bridge only delayed the re-introduction of bus service on the bridge. The new bus rapid transit service is now operated within the HOV lanes along Highway 1 from Langley to Burnaby.

The estimated cost of construction was $2.46 billion (This also included the cost of the Highway 1 upgrade, a total of 37 km). The total cost including operation and maintenance was expected to be $3.3 billion. Now that the new bridge is completed, the existing bridge, more than 45 years old, will be taken down.

The project was intended to be funded by using the public-private partnership funding format, and Connect B.C. Development Group was chosen as the preferred developer. The Connect B.C. Group included the Macquarie Group, Transtoll Inc., Peter Kiewit Sons Co. and Flatiron Constructors. Although a memorandum of understanding had been signed by the province, final terms could not be agreed upon. As a consequence, the province decided to fund the entire cost of replacement.

In total, the new bridge is 2.02km long, 65m wide carrying 10 lanes, and has a 42m clearance above high water level (same length and clearance as existing). The towers are approximately 75m tall above deck level (total height approximately 163m from top of footing). The main span (between the towers) is 470 metres long, which is the second longest cable-stayed span in the western hemisphere. The main bridge (between the end of the cables) has a length of 850 metres with two towers and 288 cables. In addition to the 10 traffic lanes at completion the new bridge was built to accommodate the installation of a light rapid transit line underneath the main deck at a future date.

On September 18, 2012, the new Port Mann Bridge opened to eastbound traffic. At 65 metres wide, the new Port Mann Bridge is the world's widest long-span bridge according to the Guinness World Records, overtaking the world-famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, which, at 49 metres, held the record since 1932.