PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — Simon Fraser Bridge in Prince George is getting a major upgrade.
Work is starting this month to upgrade the southbound bridge. The province noted the work will extend the life of the critical highway connection.
The upgrade will include a full deck replacement and strengthening of the truss. The bridge’s north abutment will be replaced, which will increase the current underpass height restrictions and allow taller transport trucks to pass underneath.
Other work will include widening shoulders and replacing the existing railings on both sides of the bridge with crash-tested bridge barriers. The bridge sees approximately 18,000 vehicles each day.
The original Simon Fraser Bridge was constructed in 1963 and, as part of Highway 97, serves the main north-south route through Prince George. In 2009, the bridge was twinned, with the completion of an adjacent two-lane bridge bringing four-lane capacity to the crossing.
The project budget for the upgrade is $20.5 million. Work will be carried out by Prince George-based Ruskin Construction Ltd. Project completion is scheduled for late 2022. During construction, the crossing will be reduced to two-lane traffic using the northbound structure.
“The Simon Fraser Bridge is a key link for the northern supply chain,” said the province in a media release. “The upgrades to the deck and the increased height clearance of the underpass will improve the movement of commercial goods into the north, feeding the vital transportation and forestry sectors in the local area, as well as the mining, and oil and gas sectors further north.”
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