Fun times to our north - major bridge is closed in Vancouver
People in Vancouver, BC are not happy with todays commute.
From
The Province:
Commuter chaos expected over Pattullo closure for four to six weeks
Commuter chaos is expected for several weeks after a fire Sunday that may see the Pattullo Bridge closed for up to four weeks or more.
The fire began early yesterday on a creosote-soaked wooden trestle supporting the southern end of the aging span linking Surrey and New Westminster.
Structural engineers, police and fire investigators probed the cause of the 3 a.m. blaze as it continued to smoulder late in the day.
Homeless people are known to live under that area of the bridge and a fence erected by Translink to keep them out was previously broken through.
It took fire crews from three Surrey halls to bring the spectacular blaze under control.
TransLink CEO Tom Prendergast said demolition of the wooden section will begin immediately.
The 72-year-old bridge carries an average of 80,000 vehicles every day � 20 per cent of the traffic that crosses the Fraser River. The bridge will be completely closed while repairs are made. Roads leading to the Port Mann Bridge were already gridlocked yesterday.
The bridge name is pronounced puh-Tello -- one person's comment summed up my thoughts exactly:
It's funny how readily available the unlimited funds for the Olympic Village is, but that decrepid old bridge still stands (barely) and we never seem to have the money to replace it...wow.
Posted by DaveH at January 19, 2009 8:45 AM