Golden Ears Bridge

The Golden Ears Bridge is a new six-lane extradosed bridge [ [http://www.b-t.com/projects/goldenears.htm Buckland & Taylor case study] ] under construction between Langley and Surrey on the south side and Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows on the north side, British Columbia, crossing the Fraser River. The new bridge, owned by TransLink, will have a clearance of 40 metres, and with a span of 968 m (3175 ft.), this will be the longest extradosed bridge in North America when it is completed in 2009. The construction project, officially launched in June 2006, will create 14 kilometres of new road. It will have direct connections to Lougheed Highway, Maple Meadows Way, 113B Avenue, 200th Street, 176th Street (Highway 15) and the Trans-Canada Highway.

TransLink's current operating plan calls for the opening of the bridge to be followed by the cessation of the Albion Ferry, a passenger/vehicle ferry that has been operational since 7 June 1957 and employs 59 full-time and 18 auxiliary employees. In 2003, annual traffic amounted to 1.5 million vehicles and 4.0 million passengers.

Construction

The Golden Ears Bridge is slated to open in the summer of 2009 and has a fixed total construction cost of $808 million (CAD). The construction contract has been let to a joint venture of CH2M Hill and Bilfinger Berger. [Structurae|id=s0013072|title=Golden Ears Bridge]

Naming

The project was named through a community process and reflects the well-known lower Fraser Valley landmark, the Golden Ears peaks, which crown Mount Blanshard in Golden Ears Provincial Park. The successful submission to name the bridge was that of George Tabert, a local pastor.

Timeline

2004

* August 6 - Environmental certification was receivedcite web|url=http://www.translink.bc.ca/About_TransLink/News_Releases/news08060401.asp|title=Golden Ears Bridge receives EAO certification|publisher=Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink)|date=2004-08-06|accessdate=2006-08-06]
* September 15 - TransLink and the Katzie First Nation signed a Benefit Agreement
* November - The "Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Act" was amended to allow for tolling

2005

* January - A Request for Proposals was issued for the design, construction, operation, maintenance and rehabilitation
* February 16 - A bylaw governing tolling was passed by TransLinkcite web|url=http://www.translink.bc.ca/files/board_files/meet_agenda_min/2005/03_11_05/feb16minutes.pdf| title=TransLink Board Meeting Minutes|publisher=Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink)|date=2005-02-16|format=PDF|pages=3|accessdate=2006-08-06]
* June 22 - TransLink and the four municipalities (Langley, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Surrey) finalized the Golden Ears Bridge "Master Municipal Agreement"cite web|url=http://www.translink.bc.ca/About_TransLink/News_Releases/news06220501.asp|title=TransLink and four municipalities finalize Golden Ears Bridge agreement|publisher=Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink)|date=2005-06-22|accessdate=2006-08-06]

* December 7 - TransLink selected "Golden Crossing Group" as the proponent to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the bridge.cite web|url=http://www.translink.bc.ca/About_TransLink/News_Releases/news12070502.asp|title=TransLink Selects Preferred Proponent for Golden Ears Bridge|publisher=Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink)|date=2005-12-07|accessdate=2006-08-06]

2006

* June 29 - Construction began.cite web|url=http://www.translink.bc.ca/About_TransLink/News_Releases/news06290602.asp|title=Construction on Golden Ears Bridge is officially launched|publisher=Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink)|date=2006-06-29|accessdate=2006-08-06]

2007

* June 5 - Pile cap and pier construction underway on the bridge.

2008

* June 20 - 3,600-year-old native site found with evidence of a native agriculture. Excavation to end and construction to resume by mid-July.cite web|url=http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/surreyleader/news/Ancient_Harvest.html|title=Ancient Harvest|publisher=The Surrey Leader|date=2008-06-20|accessdate=2008-06-24]

2009

* Early summer 2009 - Bridge is expected to be open to traffic. [ [http://www.goldenearsbridge.ca/code/navigate.php?Id=16 Golden Ears Bridge Overview] ]

Tolls

The new bridge will use an electronic tolling system to track vehicles that cross to recover construction costs. Tolls have not been used in the Lower Mainland since the 1960s when they were removed from all bridges.

:"Drivers will have the option of opening a tolling account. This will include an electronic tolling device, or transponder, to be mounted on the vehicle's windshield. It will detect usage of the bridge, allowing toll charges to be automatically billed to the driver's account, streamlining the tolling process."

:"Vehicles without an electronic tolling device will have their license plates identified through an automated video recognition system, and will be billed accordingly. Drivers of such vehicles will also have the option to pay for their trip in advance by establishing a temporary account with a credit card, and will pay a lower toll rate than if they did not establish such an account." [cite web|url=http://www.translink.bc.ca/goldenearsbridge/project_information/funding.asp|title=Project Funding|publisher=Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink)|accessdate=2006-08-06]

estimated Toll Rates (2009)

[ [http://www.translink.bc.ca/goldenearsbridge/Tolling/Toll_Rates.asp TransLink - South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority ] ]

Notes

ee also

* List of crossings of the Fraser River

External links

* [http://www.goldenearsbridge.ca Golden Ears Bridge construction web site]
* [http://www.translink.bc.ca/goldenearsbridge/default.asp Project owner's Golden Ears Bridge project page]
* [http://goldenearsbridge.ca/code/navigate.php?Id=1 Design/Build management team's project page]
* [http://www.translink.bc.ca/files/ge/GEBMap.pdf Detailed alignment map] (PDF)
*
* [http://www.b-t.com/projects/goldenears.htm Golden Ears Bridge Project] at [http://www.b-t.com Buckland and Taylor]
* [http://www.translink.bc.ca/About_TransLink/News_Releases/news07290401.asp GVTA News Release on the naming of the Golden Ears Bridge] .

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = Fraser River
bridge = Golden Ears Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream = Albion Ferry
upstream signs =
downstream = Port Mann Bridge
downstream signs =