Pattullo Bridge Emergency Repair

The Pattullo Bridge was completed in 1937, and serves as a major link between the communities of New Westminster and Surrey in the Metro Vancouver Area, carrying up to 70,000 vehicles per day, which is a significant portion of all traffic crossing the Fraser River. During construction of the bridge 3 timber spans were added to the Surrey end in place of 18m of granular embankment due to the excessive settlements experienced during construction. In 2007 TransLink identified the timber spans as requiring replacement due to their age, condition and susceptibility to fire damage, and had hired Buckland & Taylor in early 2008 to prepare a design for their replacement. On January 18, 2009 the timber spans were destroyed by fire, completely closing the bridge to all traffic (car, truck, pedestrian and cyclist) and disrupting the movement of goods and people throughout a large portion of the Metro Vancouver area. Post-fire demolition and disposal of the structure was complicated by the fact that the timbers were treated with creosote, and that the asphalt wearing surface of the bridge potentially contained asbestos. Within 8 days of the fire the damaged timber structure was demolished, and a replacement structure was located, re-engineered, modified, installed and opened to traffic.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)

  401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada 
• Authors:
  • WOOLFORD, D
  • Matson, D
• Conference:
  • 2009 ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION OF THE TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION OF CANADA - TRANSPORTATION IN A CLIMATE OF CHANGE
• Publication Date: 2009

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 16 p.
• Monograph Title: 2009 Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Transportation Association of Canada - Transportation in a Climate of Change

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asbestos; Bitumen; Bridges; Conferences; Creosote; Emergencies; Pollution; Repairing; Wood
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I53: Construction of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01149474
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
• Files: TAC
• Created Date: Jan 29 2010 11:56AM