Granville Street Bridge
Granville Street Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The modern Granville Street Bridge | |
| Coordinates | 49°16′21″N 123°07′59″W / 49.272551°N 123.133049°W |
| Carries | Eight lanes of British Columbia Highway 99, Granville Street, pedestrians, and bicycles |
| Crosses | False Creek |
| Locale | Vancouver |
| Maintained by | City of Vancouver |
| Preceded by | Granville Street Bridge (second) |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cantilever/truss bridge |
| Total length | 1,171 m (0.73 mi) |
| Clearance below | 27.4 m (90 ft) |
| History | |
| Opened | February 4, 1954 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 65,000 |
| Location | |
 | |
The Granville Street Bridge or Granville Bridge is an eight-lane fixed cantilever/truss bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia, carrying Granville Street between Downtown Vancouver southwest and the Fairview neighborhood. It spans False Creek and is 27.4 m (90 ft) above Granville Island. The bridge is part of Highway 99.
History
First bridge 1889
The original bridge was completed in 1889. It was a 732-metre long low timber trestle. The navigation span, near the north end, was a trussed timber swing span, tied with wire ropes to a central wooden tower. It was largely designed by the CPR, and cost $16,000. In 1891 the bridge was widened on both sides for streetcar tracks, except where the tracks converged for the swing span.
Second bridge 1909
The second bridge was completed in 1909. It was a longer, medium-level steel bridge with a through truss swing span. During World War I, on April 29, 1915, a fire broke out on the bridge that was thought to be an arson attack. Four Germans were arrested.
Third bridge 1954
On February 4, 1954, the current Granville Street Bridge, costing $16.5 million, opened. A million cars would cross over the bridge in its first month. The city of Vancouver funded the bridge itself as Mayor Frederick Hume said "no formal assistance given by any other government body."
The eight-lane structure was constructed on the same alignment as the first bridge while steel plate girders salvaged from the second bridge made barges for constructing the foundations of the Oak Street Bridge.
The first "civilian" to drive over the 1954 bridge was the same woman who was first to drive over the second bridge in 1909. She had been widowed between the two openings, and so had a different name. Both times she was at the wheel of a brand-new Cadillac.
Recent improvements to the bridge include increasing its earthquake resistance, and installing higher curbs and median barriers.
Today
 | This section needs to be updated. (February 2022) |
In December 2017, Vancouver City Council approved a plan to remove the "Granville Loops" - a pair of cloverleaf off-ramps connecting the bridge with Pacific Street - and open up the land to redevelopment.[1]
Since late 2018,[2] the Granville Street bridge has been undergoing seismic retrofitting which was completed in September 2021.[3]
In January 2019, Vancouver City Council announced a plan to improve pedestrian and cyclist access to the bridge from the surrounding neighbourhoods by creating a new separated bike and walking path located in the centre of the bridge roadway.[4] The plan was opened up for public comment in April 2019[5] with the project approved which is anticipated to begin in September 2022 and completed in two years.[6]
Gallery
-
Original bridge in 1888 -
Second bridge under construction, c. 1908 -
The Granville Street Bridge from the Burrard Street Bridge. -
Southwest view along Bridge into city centre, Winter 2006 -
View of downtown. -
The modern Granville Street Bridge, with downtown and the North Shore mountains in the distance.
See also
Resources
- History of Metropolitan Vancouver
- Bridges of Greater Vancouver
- Granville Street Bridge at Structurae
References
- ^ "Vancouver City Council approves $18-million plan to demolish Granville Loops | Urbanized". dailyhive.com. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
- ^ "Granville Street Bridge undergoing $34-million seismic upgrade | Urbanized". dailyhive.com. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
- ^ Tenpenny, John (September 1, 2021). "Seismic upgrades and repairs start on Cambie Street Bridge". ReNewCANADA. Vancouver, British Columbia. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- ^ "City Council approves next steps for Granville Bridge bike and walking path | Urbanized". dailyhive.com. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
- ^ "Public consultation launched for Granville Bridge's new bike and walking path | Urbanized". dailyhive.com. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
- ^ Chan, Kenneth (March 24, 2022). "City of Vancouver moving forward with Granville Bridge loops demolition this year". Daily Hive. Vancouver, British Columbia. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
External links
- Footage of the demolition of the second bridge and construction of the third Granville Street Bridge, 1954, City of Vancouver Archives
- 1954 film clip taken from a car driving over the bridge
