Design work is underway for a retrofit of the Lions Gate and Ironworkers Memorial bridges in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.
The existing concrete collar protection at the base of the south tower of the Lions Gate Bridge will be enhanced with an in-water rock-fill berm – the north tower is already protected by a rock-fill berm.
A steel barrier will be added to protect the trusses on the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, and in-water deflection structures will be installed close to the bridge.
Design work is underway for an interim truss fender on the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) has been issued on B.C. Bid to undertake functional design work and lead stakeholder consultation.
Changes in vessels operating in the Burrard Inlet, and updates to the national bridge design code, prompted the province’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to review both bridges against the code in spring 2015.
The review, which is now complete, found that both bridges satisfy vessel impact criteria for new bridges of regular importance (Class 2), but they do not meet the criteria for new bridges of critical importance (Class 1).
The retrofits aim to bring both bridges up to the more stringent Class 1 criteria, and to further strengthen their resilience in the unlikely event of a vessel impact.
SOURCE: GOVERNMENT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
