PART 3: LIONS GATE BRIDGE

Upgrading First Narrows

N. Shore municipalities consider three options

(THE NORTH Vancouver City
planning department will soon
present council with recommenda-
tions culled from Part B of the
North Vancouver Transportation
Network Study. As the final part
of our three-part series on local
traffic issues we examine the
Lions Gate Bridge.)

By A.P. McCredie
News Reporter

EARLIER THIS month B.C.’'s
transportation and highways
minister Art Charbonneau unveil-
ed three options for upgrading the
vehicle crossing over the First
Narrows.

Completed in 1938 — at a cost
of $6 million — the Lions Gate
Bridge was privately owned and
operated by the Guinness family
until the province purchased the
span in 1955.

At that time, commuters from
the North Shore were serviced by
a passenger harbor ferry and the
Lions Gate Bridge. But with the

‘public's burgeoning love affair
with the automobile in high gear,
the ferry service to North Van-
couver sailed into retirement in
1958,

. A year later the Second Nar-

. rows Bridge was completed at a
cast of $25 million.

' . The original life expectancy of
the First Narrows crossing was 50
years, but structural and cosmetic

‘upgrades to the bridge added

", eit RECT DIxED EG

TRANSPORTATION
NETWORK STUDY

another five years to its life.

To date, over $30 million has
been spent on upgrading the safe-
ty and structural integrity of the
Lions Gate Bridge.

The roadway deck of the north
670 metres of bridge —- the north
viaduct — was replaced in 1975
with a wider, lighter deck with
improved paving and drainage.
Other improvements included:

@ 1979: the effects of settlement
at two of the foundations were
corrected and some bearings were
replaced.

@ 1985: a security system was
added.

© 1986:. some . sidewalks were
replaced and concrete ‘‘collars’’
were installed for protection from
contact by shipping traffic.

In a 1989 letter from the
engineers hired by the province to
study the bridge, the North. Van-
couver firm of Buckland and
Taylor stated that the ministry
spends, on average, $1.5 to $2
million annually on the bridge.

“There will come @ point where
major renovation is more ap-
propriate,’’ Peter Buckland wrote.

According to Charbonneau’s
announcement. on Feb. 9, we have
reached that point.

The ministry has presented the
municipalities involved with three
options for public discussion.

OPTION 1-REHABILITATE THREE LANES

Profile

Profile Wwe

Lane widths =3.55m

OPTION 3-NEW FIVE LANE BRIDGE

@1) $86 million: Keep the existing
bridge, Strengthen its understruc-
ture; place cycling and walking
lanes outside the existing bridge
cables, thus widening the existing
three lanes,

2) 3118 million: Widen the ex-
isting span to four lanes. This
would require’ changing the
suspension cables on the bridge.
Cycling and walking paths would
be built outside the cables,

@3) $121 million: Build a new
five-lane span beside the existing
crossing; dismantle the Lions Gate
Bridge.

The second and third options
would entail a widening of the
causeway through Stanley Park.

“‘Now we want to engage in a
process of public consultation
which will not only address the
bridge options, but examine tran-
sit alternatives, as well as the im-
portant issue of how to pay for,
the implementation of our deci-
sions,’ Charbonneau said.

He added that a_ user-pay
system would be the best way to
finance the upgrade of the cross-
ing, not the first time a toll charge
would be required for crossing the
Lions Gate Bridge.

According to Part A of the
North Vancouver Transportation
Network Study, released in 1990,

’ daily traffic volumes on the bridge

increased from 36,000 vehicles in
1965 to 70,000 in 1989, |

See Considering page 32

4 to choose from

CERRO

STRUCTURAL AND cosmetic upgrades to Lions Gate Bri
added another five years to its life expectancy.

BLE |
FROM

17 796

NET OF REBATES

FROM

10,55

NET OF REBATES

FEATURING

GEO STORM

10 (TEN) LUXURY.
COMPANY AUTOMOBILES

1 Low mileage, carefully driven from Olds Cieras, through
; convertibles, to 88 Royale LS and 98 Regency,

MINIMUM

SAVINGS OF $5,000

FROM THE ORIGINAL MARKET PRICE!

Buii-k Certury - loaded
Was ‘14,995

91 ASTRO VAN

Choice of 4 pre-owned.
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now 519,999

FRIENDS, WE

CORS

29, ABS;

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750 OLDS CIERA

Air, automatic, 4 door.
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NEWS photo |
idge have

DITIONE ARANTEED.
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