Monday, June 13, 2016

Burrard Street Bridge Fencing Update

Burrard Bridge and Pacific Street Intersection Upgrades

We are rehabilitating the Burrard Bridge, and improving safety and connections for people using the bridge from the Burrard-Pacific intersection.

Project details

Location

Burrard Street and Pacific Street intersection
Burrard Bridge

Maps

Project map (15 MB)
Close-up map of intersection (5 MB)

View a map of the upgraded intersection (15 MB PDF)

Expected duration

Start: March/April 2016
End: Mid 2017

Hours of work

Monday to Friday: 7:00am to 4:00pm
Weekends as needed

Status

Under construction

How this project may affect you

Traffic

During construction, one travel lane in each direction will stay open on Burrard Street. Some full road closures will be needed on weekends to allow for major roadwork and final paving.

June: Burrard and Pacific intersection, and Pacific Street from Thurlow to Burrard

We are completing minor storm sewer works on Burrard St from Drake St to Pacific St. Work in this section will be ongoing for most of 2016. Temporary closures of lanes will be in effect. At least one lane of traffic in each direction will remain open. High impact work will occur on some weekends.
As well, we are temporarily closing one lane on Pacific St between Burrard St and Thurlow St to make room for roadwork on the north side of the street.
Road and electrical construction continues at Burrard St and Pacific St intersection.

June: Burrard Bridge

We will reduce 5 vehicle lanes on the bridge to 3 lanes as we work on the west side of the bridge.

Access to residences and businesses

Access to residences and businesses will be maintained at all times. Sidewalks and crosswalks will be generally maintained throughout construction.

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How this project will improve the city

A safer bridge in good condition

A safer Burrard-Pacific intersection for all road users

Better connections for people walking and cycling

Minimal impact to travel times and access

More trees

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Fencing and heritage lamp posts

To enhance public safety, we will install a means-prevention fence.
The fence will have a simple picket design with vertical details and heritage-style lamp posts.

Rendering of the means prevention fence along the pedestrian walkway facing west to English Bay

We designed the fence in consultation with:

Vancouver Heritage Commission
The Heritage Foundation
Heritage Vancouver Society
Active Transportation Policy Council
Urban Design Panel
Vancouver Coastal Health
BC Crisis Centre
Vancouver Police Department
Film and television industry

We chose this method of means prevention because it:

Respects the heritage elements of the bridge
Maximizes views
Costs less to build and maintain

Rendering of the means prevention fence along the pedestrian walkway facing south

Help is always available for anyone in crisis or distress.

If you or someone you know needs help, phone:

604-872-3311 (Vancouver)
1-800-SUICIDE (anywhere in BC)

How these upgrades link to Transportation 2040

Improvements to the Burrard Bridge were approved in principle as part of the Transportation 2040 plan, which was adopted by Council in 2012.
Relevant plan directions include:

Improve safety, eliminating transportation-related fatalities
Increase green transportation so that at least two-thirds of all trips on foot, bike, or transit by 2040
Make walking and cycling safe, convenient, and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities
Manage the road network efficiently for all road users

Burrard Bridge and the other False Creek bridges are top priorities for improvement because:

Each bridge has unique challenges that can make walking and biking difficult
Declining motor vehicle volumes and the timing of required maintenance on all three bridges make it possible to combine improvements for less money

"Not One More Suicide"