The early bridges were mostly of timber, a plentiful local resource, but their low clearances and short spans made them vulnerable to marine traffic.

Vancouver's first bridges radiated over False Creek from the growing city core to the extensive undeveloped lands to the south and west. These are described going from east to west along False Creek.

Westminster Avenue Trestle now Main Street 1876-1909/1909-1921 This low timber trestle, 218 metres long, was the first big bridge in the Vancouver area. It was built at the narrows halfway along the original False Creek to carry the road from Granville to the older City of New Westminster. The road, now Kingsway, was laid out by the Royal Engineers as the "False Creek Trail" from New Westminster.

The bridge was widened in 1890 to carry streetcar tracks on the west side. In 1909 a steel bascule lift was added. In 1921 the east half of False Creek was filled for yards of the Great Northern (now Burlington Northern) and the Canadian Northern Pacific (now part of Canadian National Railways). The obsolete bridge was removed.

GNR Trestle over False Creek to Columbia Street Yard on Burrard Inlet c. 1908-1921 The Vancouver, Westminster and Yukon Railway, a subsidiary of the Great Northern, built this bridge to their small yard in downtown Vancouver, between Columbia and Carrall streets. The bridge was removed when the GNR made better yard space by filling the False Creek flats as far west as Main Street.

Georgia Viaduct 1915-1972 This was built in 1913-15 for the City of Vancouver to extend Georgia Street over the CPR's Beatty Street yard. It was named the "Hart McHarg" bridge for a World War I hero, but the name did not last.

A classic product of low bidding ($494,000) and meagre supervision, it was never a sound bridge. Streetcar tracks were laid but never used. Every second lamppost was removed to save weight. Much blacktop was used to fill mysterious sags and hollows in the deck. People passing below were injured by falling concrete, and concrete spans were propped with timber. The bridge was replaced by the parallel Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts in 1972, each carrying three lanes of one-way traffic.

Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts 1972- These replaced the crumbling original Georgia Viaduct. The alignments suit the city's downtown one-way street policy, with Georgia eastbound, Dunsmuir westbound. The two structures cost $11,200,000.

Cambie (Connaught) Bridges 1891-1912/1912-1985/1985- The first bridge was named for the Governor General of the day, but "Cambie" was its usual name, matching the street that it carried. Built for $12,000, the first bridge was a simple piled timber trestle with a trussed timber swing span near the middle.

The next bridge was a four-lane, medium level steel bridge, 1,247 metres long with streetcar tracks, completed in 1911 for $740,000. The concept was similar to the second Granville Bridge (1909). The navigation span was a steel through-truss swing span which the city would open on four hours' notice. In 1953 it opened 79 times. Even in its later years, it was opened once or twice a week. The trusses of the swing span projected through the bridge deck, dividing the two outer lanes from the two inner lanes. This caused many motor vehicle collisions. In April 1915 the creosoted wood deck caught fire, with the collapse of a 24.4 metre steel side span.

The entire Cambie crossing was closed for nine months, starting November 1984, while the present higher six-lane concrete bridge was merged with the existing approaches. The new bridge cost $50 million.

Granville (Street) Bridge 1889-1909/1909-1954/1954- The first Granville Bridge was a low timber trestle, 732 metres long, giving access to the Marpole/Eburne area via the North Arm Road (now Granville Street). The navigation span, near the north end, was a trussed timber swing span, hogged with wire ropes to a central wooden tower. It was largely designed by the CPR, and cost $16,000. In appearance it was a heavier version of the CPR's Kitsilano trestle, immediately to the west. The alignment was directly below the present bridge but extended only from Beach Avenue to 3rd Avenue. In 1891 the bridge was widened on both sides for streetcar tracks, except where the tracks converged for the swing span.

This bridge was replaced in 1909 by a longer, medium-level steel bridge with a through truss swing span. The new bridge extended from Pacific to 4th , east of the original bridge.

The present eight-lane structure was built back on the original alignment but longer again and 27.4 metres above False Creek. After the bridge opened in 1954, steel plate girders salvaged from the old bridge made barges for constructing the foundations of Oak Street Bridge.

Recent improvements to the bridge include increasing its earthquake resistance, and installing higher curbs and median barriers.

CPR Kitsilano Trestle 1886-1903/1903-1982 Initial construction of the CPR extended as far west as Trafalgar Street on English Bay. A piled timber trestle across the mouth of False Creek. Later a short steel plate girder swing span and adjacent steel through-truss span were installed to conform more closely with the Navigable Waters Protection Act. During World War II, when ships built in False Creek had to be moved to English Bay, the steel truss span was floated aside.

In 1902 B.C. Electric Railway operated the bridge as part of their interurban system to Marpole, and south and east. The bridge was removed in 1982.

Burrard Bridge 1932- This six-lane highway bridge carries traffic high above False Creek. The bridge piers have provision for a rapid transit vertical lift span beneath the highway deck. To hide the steel superstructure of the main span, an architectural concrete portal with illuminated windows was installed at each end. Cyclists share the sidewalks with pedestrians.

The next 24 bridges, or former bridges, link the Vancouver-New Westminster peninsula with the rest of British Columbia. Starting at the Port Mann Bridge, we make a clockwise tour, ending at the Second Narrows Bridges.

Port Mann Highway Bridge Fraser River 1964- This elegant bridge carries the Trans-Canada Highway across the Fraser River at the most stable part of its lower channel, above the two earlier bridges at New Westminster, the apex of the Fraser delta. The high-level centre span is 365.7 metres, framed as a stiffened tied arch, in concept an inverted suspension bridge. Erection of the main span employed balanced cantilevering from the north and south main piers. The two halves of the centre span were suspended by cable tiebacks over temporary steel towers until closure. The bridge is now overcrowded at rush hours.

Fraser River Swing Bridge New Westminster, originally road/rail, low-level 1904- This great, $1-million doubledeck bridge was built by the province. It was the first crossing of the lower Fraser River, giving road and rail access south from the Vancouver-New Westminster peninsula to the farmlands of Langley, Surrey and Delta; to the Old Yale Road up the Fraser Valley; to the Pacific Highway south to Seattle; and to three important railways.

The bridge is a fine example of late 19th century engineering, with pins and eyebars for the main tension members. The steel spans cover 732 metres, plus 2,352 metres of timber approach trestles. The foundations were a major challenge, being driven as much as 43 metres below high water. Nelson Island granite from upcoast was used for facing the pier shafts.

Both road and rail traffic increased steadily over the years. The upper (highway) deck was only one-way width for trucks. In 1937 the upper deck was superseded by the Pattullo Bridge alongside. This released additional load capacity for railway traffic.

The province sold the bridge to Public Works Canada byabout 1938. It is now maintained and operated by CNR.

On December 26, 1975, a runaway logging barge, driven by a westerly gale, carried away a 116- metre span of this bridge. Fortunately, Burlington Northern had drawings for a modern 114-metre span recently built at Spokane. This speeded the repair and reopening of this busy but obscure railway bridge.

Pattullo Bridge Fraser River, New Westminster 1937- This high-level, four-lane highway bridge is west of the old Fraser River Swing Bridge. The north end springs from the hill on which New Westminster is built, but the lower ground at the south end necessitates long approaches. These were built as light steel truss spans, then encased in concrete. The main span is a tied cantilever arch, giving a clearance of 45.7 metres. Several services have been installed beneath the deck, the heaviest being water mains for the municipalities to the south.

BC Transit SkyBridge Fraser River, New Westminster 1990- The SkyBridge, just downstream of Pattullo Bridge, enables commuters from Surrey to avoid the Alex Fraser, Pattullo and Port Mann bridges. It is set skew to the Fraser River to ease the curve coming from New Westminster. It is almost on the line of the original ferry which served the start of the Old Yale Road up the Fraser Valley.

The bridge is cable stayed, like the Alex Fraser, but with the entire deck built of concrete. There are two tracks, enabling SkyTrains to pass on the bridge. With the completion of SkyBridge, the oldest and newest bridges in Greater Vancouver are within sight of each other.

Queensborough Bridge Lulu Island, low-level road/rail 1891-1913/1913- The North Arm of the Fraser River was bridged here by the City of New Westminster with a timber highway trestle, connecting the two parts of the city. It was rebuilt in 1913 and 1951 by B.C. Electric Railway for rail access to the industrialized end of Lulu Island. A heavy plate girder swing span takes care of navigation.

The bridge continues in rail freight service to Annacis Island, but was closed to highway traffic in 1960, after the high-level, four-lane Queensborough Bridge was built a little to the west.

Derwent Way Bridge low-level, road/rail from New Westminster, Annacis Channel, Queensborough, Lulu Island 1955-1986 / 1986- This recently reconstructed low-level bridge carries two highway lanes, and a separate rail track. A wide steel girder swing span now provides the navigation opening.

Queensborough Bridge high-level highway 1960- The City of New Westminster built this $4-million bridge over the North Arm of the Fraser for access to its suburb of Queensborough at the east end of Lulu Island, and to the Annacis Industrial Estate to the south. It has since become a feeder to Route 91 and the 1986 Alex Fraser (Annacis) Bridge. Queensborough was a toll bridge until bought by the provincial government in November 1966.

Alex Fraser (Annacis) Bridge high level, Main Channel, Fraser River 1986- When opened, the 465-metre main span was the longest in the world. The stay cables radiate from two tall concrete towers, founded on large steel pipe piles of similar length. The deck is concrete, laid on steel plate girders. Originally the six-lane deck was restricted to four lanes, the outer lanes being reserved for cyclists and pedestrians. In about a year the bridge had generated sufficient traffic to justify opening all six lanes to vehicles. Pedestrians and cyclists were moved outside the cables.

North of Annacis Island, the highway is taken over Annacis Channel by a low-level bridge equipped with a swing span for navigation.

CNR Bridge low-level, over North Arm, Fraser River at Big Bend 1920- CNR tracks run along the north or right bank of the Fraser from Sapperton to this bridge; beyond the bridge, on Lulu Island, tracks diverge south and west. There is a steel through-truss swing span.

Knight Street Bridge North Arm, Fraser River 1974- This four-lane concrete bridge gives medium-level access above Marine Drive to Lulu Island and both branches of the North Arm of the Fraser at Mitchell Island. There are six lanes as far south as Mitchell Island, where the deck narrows to four lanes.

Construction was balanced cantilever to minimize interference with navigation. The final clearances are 12.2 metres by 79.2 metres over the north channel, and 20.1 by 109.7 metres for the south channel. Innovations included the extensive use of semi-lightweight concrete, and electric heating cables in the deck to minimize de-icing salt in the winter.

Construction took 5 years. The cost, including approaches, was about $15 million. Knight Street Bridge entirely replaced the low-level Fraser Street Bridge 1.6 kilometres to the west, and relieves traffic on Oak Street Bridge. With the completion of the east-west Westminster Highway across Lulu Island, Knight Street Bridge serves Routes 91 and 99 to the south.

Fraser Street Bridge low-level highway to Mitchell and Lulu islands 1893-1974 This former crossing of the North Arm of the Fraser River connected Fraser Street in Vancouver with No. 5 Road on Lulu Island in Richmond. There was a connection to Mitchell Island en route. The 1905 bridge had a small through-truss swing span, on which the deck was replaced by open steel grating in 1962. Until mechanized in 1948, the bridge was opened by hand. It was obsolete some years before it was replaced by Knight Street Bridge.

Twigg Island Bridge low-level road/rail 1958- B.C. Electric Railway built this private road/rail bridge over the north channel of the North Arm to service the Western Canada Steel plant on Twigg Island. The bridge has not been used since 1958. The steel through-trusses, including the swing span, were floated here from the No. 7 Highway Bridge over Pitt River, when the bridge was rebuilt. In turn, the span had come from the nearby CPR bridge when it was replaced by the present double-track structure.

Oak Street Bridge high level, North Arm, Fraser River 1957- This four-lane bridge, on Route 99, also serves Richmond, and was much used to reach Vancouver Airport until completion of the Arthur Laing Bridge in 1975. During the planning, it was the "New Marpole Bridge." With the Middle Arm Bridge, it replaced the old Marpole swing bridge over the North Arm of the Fraser. Tolls were charged until 1959; $1 million was collected in the last year.

Though high enough to avoid interruptions from shipping, it soon became overcrowded at rush hours. The Arthur Laing Bridge to Sea Island relieved traffic congestion.

The main spans are heavy steel deck plate girders continuous over three spans of 60.9, 91.4 and 60.9 metres. The deck expansion joints have required work. In 1995 two lanes of the bridge were closed alternately for resurfacing the concrete deck. A median barrier and higher curbs were also installed and earthquake resistance enhanced.

Marpole Bridge low-level rail to Lulu Island 1902-1966/1967- This CPR crossing carries the Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway over the North Arm of the Fraser River. The bridge and track have long been leased to B.C. Electric Railway (now the Southern Railway of B.C.).

In 1966 the bridge was damaged by a barge. The bridge was rebuilt with full main-line capacity, and a longer, hydraulically operated swing span.

Marpole Bridge low-level road to Sea and Lulu islands 1889-1901/1901-1957 This bridge with its tendency to open at inconvenient times, will be familiar to users of Vancouver AMF (Air Mail Field) on Sea Island, now the airfreight and seaplane terminal. Records show, for example, that the bridge opened 7,015 times in 1954.

The first bridge served local traffic, mainly farmers and fishermen. It was heavily damaged by river ice in 1890. It was a series of timber through-truss spans, with a steel through-truss for navigation. A similar bridge at the south end continued over the Middle Arm of Fraser River to the north end of No. 3 Road on Lulu Island

The second bridge (1901), with its half-through steel plate girder swing span, was superseded by the Oak Street and Middle Arm bridges. It was dismantled in 1957. In August 1975 the Marpole Bridge was replaced by the more direct Arthur Laing Bridge, built higher and longer on the same alignment.

Lulu Island-Sea Island Bridge 1890-c. 1960 The first Middle Arm bridge was built at the north end of No. 3 Road, joining Sea Island to the Bridgeport area of Lulu Island, as an extension of the first Marpole Bridge.

Middle Arm Bridge low level, Moray Channel 1965- This two-lane bridge is built a short distance south of the preceding bridge, linking the south end of Oak Street Bridge to Sea Island and the airport, as well as serving local traffic. It has a steel plate girder swing span, driven by hydraulic rams.

Dinsmore Bridge Middle Arm, Fraser River 1969- This two-lane, $845,000 low-level structure connects the densely populated part of Richmond to Sea Island and the airport. It supplements, and is south of, the preceding Middle Arm bridge, and has no movable span.

No. 2 Road Bridge Middle Arm, Fraser River 1993- This four-lane road bridge supplements the two preceding bridges over the Middle Arm. It was built by the Municipality of Richmond for $39 million, including approaches. There is no movable span.

Arthur Laing (Hudson Street) Bridge North Arm, Fraser River 1975- This is part of a concentration of bridges at the east end of Sea Island. Two parallel independent unpainted steel box girders form the main spans of this four-lane, high-level bridge to Sea Island. It is on the same alignment as its predecessor, the 1899 Marpole Bridge. Like most modern bridges, traffic flow has been addressed: the length of the several sinuous approaches is much longer than the main spans.

Lions Gate (First Narrows) Bridge Burrard Inlet 1938- First Narrows is formed by the delta gravels of Capilano River spreading towards Prospect Point in Stanley Park. The point makes a good high south end to the bridge, but the low flat delta land to the north required the extensive North Viaduct. The bridge was built by Guinness interests and opened in 1938, to assist in developing the upper part of West Vancouver municipality.

Negotiations preceding construction took more than 10 years, with access through Stanley Park almost as contentious as it would be now. When first opened, the bridge had two wide lanes; soon three narrower lanes were laid out, the centre lane for passing. The bridge comprises three suspended spans and a long north viaduct. The main span is 472 metres, with a ship's clearance of 61 metres.

In 1963 the provincial government bought the bridge for $6 million, and soon removed tolls. Overhead lane control signals enabled traffic in the centre lane to be reversed at will.

Modern traffic finds the 2.84 metre lanes narrow; the sidewalks are inadequate for pedestrians and cyclists. Trucks exceeding 13 tonnes are prohibited, as are studded tires. There have been long and earnest discussions on repairing or replacing the bridge, but no decision had been reached by the end of 1995. At neither end does the provincial government have a free hand: Stanley Park is a Federal Reserve leased directly by the City of Vancouver; the north end crosses Capilano Indian Reserve No. 5.

The Burrard Inlet Tunnel and Bridge Company's Bridge combined road/rail 1925-1930/1934-1969 The first permanent crossing of Burrard Inlet was at Second Narrows, where the combined deltas of Lynn and Seymour rivers cause a second constriction in Burrard Inlet against high ground to the south. Ferry service existed from the earliest times, but the start of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway along the North Shore made a bridge desirable.

The first serious proposal, in 1914, showed a wide combined road/rail bridge having a 177-metre swing span for navigation (the longest in the world) with the deck set high enough to clear the CPR main line at the south end. This was a farsighted plan, since the smaller bridge subsequently built, and rebuilt, was frequently in trouble with shipping.

In 1916 a dam and two sets of locks were proposed for Second Narrows, simplifying the bridging problem, and eventually making the upper harbour into a freshwater lake, with a canal east to Pitt River. This was not built either.

The Burrard Inlet and Tunnel Company was formed by the North Shore municipalities for the next proposal, which resulted in a bridge, a very modest version of the 1914 plan, built lower to connect with the CPR tracks. A short bascule span was installed near the south end. This led to barges running under the longer fixed spans, at low tide. Inevitably, a barge got stuck on a rising tide, and dislodged the span. The bridge was closed for over four years while it was redesigned and rebuilt. The span over the real ships' channel was rebuilt as a 85.3-metre lift span, hoisted between two new steel towers. The new design was more successful; though often hit by shipping, it was never closed for more than 10 days.

"Progress" called for an improved crossing. This was done in two stages: on the west side by a high-level road bridge and by a medium-level rail bridge on the east side.

The old bridge could not compete with the convenience of the new; it was closed to highway traffic in 1963, and sold to the CNR for $1.

Second Narrows Highway Bridge 1960- The new six-lane highway bridge has a cantilevered main span of 350 metres. Construction started in 1956 and ended in 1960. During construction the collapse of the north anchor arm killed 18 men. In 1994 the bridge was renamed The Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. In 1995 its earthquake resistance was upgraded.

CNR Bridge medium-level rail, Second Narrows 1969- In 1969 CNR replaced the old BITB rail crossing with a larger, heavier bridge on its east side. This has a vertical lift span which is usually partially raised, allowing free movement of most marine traffic. The CNR passes over the CPR at the south end and continues south through a tunnel to join the CNR main line near Brentwood shopping centre.