A major rehabilitation of the almost 80-year-old Burrard Street Bridge could be a serious pain for commuters who may find themselves funnelled from five lanes into three, a city councillor warned yesterday.
“It will take a couple of years to rehabilitate the bridge,” said Coun. Geoff Meggs.
“And there will be serious reduction in traffic capacity on the Burrard Street Bridge during the rehabilitation process.”
Two lanes of the five-lane bridge may be lost to construction, he warned, as crews work to replace sidewalks and railings on the heritage structure.
On Thursday, council will vote on whether to fund $2 million to design the bridge rehabilitation and make permanent the bicycle lanes that were installed a year ago as a trial.
The rehabilitation work will include replacing the parapet railing and testing the deck and sidewalks. Past estimates have pegged the price of upgrades at around $30 million.
