Pattullo Bridge deck near completion

For several weeks, crews have been installing concrete deck panels, steel girders and stay cables outward from the towers of the bridge that spans the Fraser River near Vancouver, Canada.
By David Arminas July 29, 2025 Read time: 2 mins
Crews are working on bridge finishes, including fencing, utilities, barriers and expansion joint installation, which will be followed by asphalt paving later this summer (image courtesy Transportation Investment Corporation/Partnerships British Columbia)

Deck panel installation for the US$1.03 billion Pattullo Suspension Bridge replacement project in the Vancouver area is nearing completion, with concrete pours being planned.

The bridge crosses the Fraser River and links the cities of New Westminster and Surrey in Metro Vancouver,

For several weeks, crews have been installing concrete deck panels, steel girders and stay cables outward from the bridge tower. The connection of the south approach and main span was recently completed, marking the creation of a continuous bridge deck from the bridge tower into Surrey.

Crews are working on bridge finishes, including fencing, utilities, barriers and expansion joint installation, which will be followed by asphalt paving later this summer.

When the four-lane toll-free bridge opens this autumn, the existing 1.3km-long four-lane old bridge will be removed. The bridge was opened in 1937 and had no median space between the opposing traffic flow, leading to many head-on crashes.

Fraser Crossing Partners – a joint partnership between Acciona Infrastructure Canada and Aecon Group – have designed and are constructing the bridge. The contract includes construction of road connections at the bridgeheads in New Westminster and Surrey. Its will include pedestrian access and allow for future widening from four to six lanes.

Construction of the new bridge was expected to take place between 2019 and 2023, with the CAN$1.3 billion funding finalised in 2018. However, work started at the beginning of the pandemic, in February 2020. According to the provincial British Columbia government, the project has faced significant challenges, including inflationary pressures and global supply issues related to the delivery of specialised components from around the world. In addition, the bridge tower construction took longer than expected, pushing back the completion date.

The official name of the bridge has yet to be decided, but the name will be in Halkomelem, the language of the local First Nations people upon whose land the bridge stands. The name will be decided jointly by Musqueam First Nation and Kwantlen First Nation groups.

The new bridge is funded and owned by the province of BC while the Transportation Investment Corporation (TI Corp) is responsible for managing the delivery of the Project. The BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will be responsible for, and maintain, the new bridge once completed.

For Videos and images of construction progress, click here.

Road Structures

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Peri’s formwork and shoring solution for the “East End Crossing”
    July 6, 2016
    Pylons almost 90m high are a striking feature of a new cable-stayed East End Crossing bridge over the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky state in the US The pylons are characterised by their complex shapes and massive legs and cross beams. Peri provided a comprehensive overall concept for its construction – consisting of a planning solution with perfectly matched formwork, climbing, shoring and scaffolding systems along with extensive on-site support. With a Peri solution, the construction crew were a
    Read More
  • The A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme takes shape
    May 31, 2017
    Highways England’s project manager gives sneak peek into progress on the UK’s biggest road upgrade now under construction. Road construction workers often find interesting buried items when building roads and the UK’s A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme is proving the point. It’s been less than half a year since construction started on the €1.76 billion A14 scheme, Highways England’s largest ongoing project. Highways England is the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, main
    Read More
  • New bridge is spanning China’s Yangtze River
    June 28, 2013
    There is massive development in design and construction of bridges in China and the Yingwuzhou Bridge over the Yangtze River is one key project – Mike Woof reports, with assistance from Route One’s Chinese publishing partner *CMTM Called the Mother River, the Yangtze is a focal point for China politically, economically and culturally. The river has been at the heart of China’s development for millennia, its history stretching back as far as the dawn of human civilisation. The name Yangtze, or Yangzi, is its
    Read More
  • Bridge formwork solutions complete big bridge picture
    July 2, 2014
    Advanced bridge formwork solutions are allowing contractors to complete vital major highway infrastructure projects covering Norway, Sweden, Estonia and Poland. Guy Woodford reports Building the Labbdalen bridges in Norway is a key feature of the E6 highway improvement programme. Main project contractor HÆHRE tasked RMD Kwikform and Teknikk with supplying a complete formwork and shoring solution that could tackle the challenging Norwegian terrain, whilst preserving the environment. Situated two hours
    Read More

Highlighted Content