The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has completed work on a $1.15-million seismic retrofit and deck resurfacing project for the 15th Street overpass on Highway 1, which crosses above 15th Street in West Vancouver.

“We are committed to strengthening our existing structures and to building new, robust bridges, built to meet stringent seismic standards,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone. “The completion of the 15th Street overpass seismic retrofit ensures this crossing is up to our strict safety standards if an earthquake were to occur. This makes the drive safer for all motorists that use this overpass.”

The contractor for this project was Giffels Westpro Constructors Inc. Work started in April and was completed at the end of September. The 15th Street overpass is on Highway 1 approximately 2 kilometres west of Taylor Way.

“This seismic upgrade was necessary for this structure, and the deck resurfacing work makes the drive smoother and safer over this Trans-Canada Highway crossing,” said MLA for West Vancouver-Capilano Ralph Sultan. “I’m pleased to see this project completed so quickly, and I know motorists appreciate it as well.”

The ministry has been retrofitting the “lifeline bridges,” which are major bridges connecting communities, and to retrofit structures on the Disaster Response Routes.

Of the nine “lifeline” structures in the Lower Mainland:

• Two major bridges have been replaced (Port Mann Bridge and Pitt River Bridge).
• Five have been retrofitted to meet modern seismic standards (Lions Gate, Oak Street, Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows, Queensborough and Mission bridges).
• The George Massey Tunnel has had seismic improvements and will be replaced under the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project.
• The Agassiz-Rosedale Bridge retrofit is in the design stage.

The ministry has invested close to $66 million in bridge seismic retrofit projects since 2001.

B.C. on the Move is government’s 10-year plan for the improvement of the province’s transportation network. Over the next three years, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will invest $2.7 billion to improve B.C.’s transportation network.

Learn more:

B.C. on the Move:  www.gov.bc.ca/bconthemove

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure online: http://www.tranbc.ca