Transportation and Transit
The two finishing touches on the new Port Mann Bridge - a 1964 commemorative plaque from the original bridge and a new plaque to mark the opening of the new crossing - were unveiled today in a ceremony on the old bridge.
Both plaques will be mounted along the brand new Port Mann Bridge pedestrian and cycling path once the bridge is completed to its full 10-lane width.
The new plaque reads: "Dedicated to the thousands of builders, designers and visionaries responsible for the Port Mann / Highway 1 Project - the largest transportation infrastructure project in British Columbia's history; December 2012".
The original plaque was recovered from the first Port Mann Bridge where it was installed at the approach to the crossing. Crews are working to dismantle the original span so the new bridge can be completed to its final 10-lane width and the multi-user path for pedestrians and cyclists can be connected from Coquitlam to Surrey.
A traffic engineering survey that measured Highway 1 travel times before and after Port Mann Bridge construction was also released today. This survey confirmed drivers are experiencing significant time savings, with many commuters cutting their commute times by as much as half.
The survey shows drivers travelling between Langley and Vancouver have already eliminated 35 minutes from their overall trip. In fact, drivers during peak morning periods are reaching their final destination before they would have made it across the original five-lane Port Mann Bridge.
Drivers travelling between Surrey and Coquitlam on the new Port Mann Bridge are already cutting their commute time by nearly 60 per cent. These time savings are expected to increase even more once additional highway lanes and improvements west of the Brunette Avenue Interchange are finished.
Phase two of construction will continue on the Port Mann Bridge and along the Highway 1 corridor through 2013. Crews will keep working to complete the bridge to its full 10-lane capacity and continue highway widening and interchange improvements through Coquitlam, Burnaby and Vancouver.
When Phase Two of the project is complete and improvements to Highway 1 from Coquitlam to Vancouver are open to traffic, many drivers will be saving up to an hour a day.
Quote:
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Mary Polak -
"Today, we are recognizing the original Port Mann Bridge while celebrating the difference the new Port Mann is making in the lives of commuters and goods movers. Thousands of builders, designers and visionaries were responsible for the construction of this new crossing, and this plaque will serve as a permanent reminder of our gratitude for building the widest bridge in the world and reducing our daily commute."
Learn More:
Learn more about the Port Mann/Highway 1 Improvement Project online at: www.pmh1project.com/Pages/default.aspx
Learn more about transportation projects happening throughout B.C. at: www.th.gov.bc.ca/tranprojectsbc/
A backgrounder follows.
Contacts:
Kate Trotter
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241
Greg Johnson
Communications Manager
Transportation Investment Corporation
778 783-1220
(flickr.com) BACKGROUNDER
Port Mann Bridge time savings survey
The Port Mann/Highway 1 Improvement Project will reduce congestion and improve access and safety along Highway 1 between Langley and Vancouver, reducing travel times by up to an hour per day for many commuters.
A traffic engineering firm was retained to measure pre-existing and current corridor travel times and to estimate future time savings upon project completion. All routes were travelled several times and tracked by GPS to accurately measure and estimate the average travel times.
To measure pre-existing travel times, the routes listed below were driven in peak traffic conditions prior to Dec. 1, 2012. To measure current travel times, the same routes were driven in peak conditions post-Dec. 1, 2012.
Future travel times reflect estimated travel times once the PMH1 Project is complete.
176th St. @ 96th Ave. to Brunette Ave. @ Lougheed - morning drive
Travel time before improvements: 35 minutes
Current travel time: 11 minutes
Estimated travel time at project completion: 10 minutes
Brunette Ave. @ Lougheed to 176th St. @ 96th Ave. - afternoon drive
Travel time before improvements: 17 minutes
Current travel time: 11 minutes
Estimated travel time at project completion: 10 minutes
200th St. @ 80th Ave. to Boundary Rd. @ Grandview - morning drive
Morning travel time before improvements: 68 minutes
Current travel time: 40 minutes
Estimated travel time at project completion: 23 minutes
Boundary Rd. @ Grandview to 200th St. @ 80th Ave. - afternoon drive
Morning travel time before improvements: 39 minutes
Current travel time: 32 minutes
Estimated travel time at project completion: 23 minutes
Contacts:
Kate Trotter
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241
Greg Johnson
Communications Manager
Transportation Investment Corporation
778 783-1220
