Highway One Improvements: North Vancouver / Ironworkers Memorial Approach | Completed

[Klazu]

I don't think this project will help with the congestion one bit. No new real lanes are getting added and the slightly better merges can only do so much. They should have added one travel lane in each direction but keeping the old bridge negates the possibility of that. It's quite disappointing to see the construction for several years and the result won't be much different.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by djmk

half of the old bridge over Seymour Creek is wrapped in white plastic.

Anyone know why they did this?

they're removing the lead paint from it and don't want it getting everywhere.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I don't think this project will help with the congestion one bit. No new real lanes are getting added and the slightly better merges can only do so much. They should have added one travel lane in each direction but keeping the old bridge negates the possibility of that. It's quite disappointing to see the construction for several years and the result won't be much different.

Disagree. All the congestion in that area was due to those horrible merge points. All those cars trying to get on at Dollarton/bus loop is the reason cars would back into Lower Lynn.. not because of a lack of lane capacity to reach the 2nd Narrows. Same goes with the spaghetti mess of old merge points westbound.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I don't think this project will help with the congestion one bit. No new real lanes are getting added and the slightly better merges can only do so much. They should have added one travel lane in each direction but keeping the old bridge negates the possibility of that. It's quite disappointing to see the construction for several years and the result won't be much different.

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Disagree. All the congestion in that area was due to those horrible merge points. All those cars trying to get on at Dollarton/bus loop is the reason cars would back into Lower Lynn.. not because of a lack of lane capacity to reach the 2nd Narrows.

While I can see Klazu's point about the lanes, I do agree that the reconfiguration of the on- and off-ramps will have a significant effect on traffic flow. Once everything is done, highway traffic should have a lot less "interference" from vehicles attempting to merge on and off the freeway.

[Klazu]

I guess we will all know in 6 months as the claimed completion is Fall 2021.

While I am happy that the new Mountain Hwy underpass looks like it will allow for 3+3 through lanes, the old Lynn Creek bridge won't and neither will the new merge lanes without significant reconfiguring. They are also now talking about covering portion of the highway by Lonsdale Avenue which is sure to remove two lanes from the only place there has been 3+3. The gong show will only get better as we grow towards that 3.8M figure...

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I guess we will all know in 6 months as the claimed completion is Fall 2021.

While I am happy that the new Mountain Hwy underpass looks like it will allow for 3+3 through lanes, the old Lynn Creek bridge won't and neither will the new merge lanes without significant reconfiguring. They are also now talking about covering portion of the highway by Lonsdale Avenue which is sure to remove two lanes from the only place there has been 3+3. The gong show will only get better as we grow towards that 3.8M figure...

As I understand it, the design allows for room for 3+3 when the orange bridge is (eventually) replaced. The Lonsdale park space - while interesting - is not anywhere near even being a serious proposal; it's just an idea suggested by the NVC mayor.

[madog222]

It should be simple to revert to the current arrangement if and when the arch bridges need to replaced to build 6 thru lanes.

[s211]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

The Lonsdale park space - while interesting - is not anywhere near even being a serious proposal; it's just an idea suggested by the NVC mayor.

Yup. It's a vanity project for people who likely have no idea where money comes from.

Awaiting a rebuttal that starts with "yeah but what about what they did in Dallas..." in three, two, .....

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by madog222

It should be simple to revert to the current arrangement if and when the arch bridges need to replaced to build 6 thru lanes.

Doesn't seem like there's any room to add any lanes before or after the orange bridge to even bother with that.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Doesn't seem like there's any room to add any lanes before or after the orange bridge to even bother with that.

Mountain Highway overpass is ~40m wide, that should be plenty of room.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by madog222

Mountain Highway overpass is ~40m wide, that should be plenty of room.

But there's an onramp between that overpass and the orange bridges and then you would also end up with no shoulder.

[jollyburger]

Photos of the shrinkwrapping of the orange bridges

Scaffolding being installed on Lynn Creek Bridge deck, Apr 3 2021 by B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, on Flickr

[madog222]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

But there's an onramp between that overpass and the orange bridges and then you would also end up with no shoulder.

My back of the napkin math says it will fit with full shoulders.

[scottN]

Originally Posted by madog222

Mountain Highway overpass is ~40m wide, that should be plenty of room.

As long as the Iron Worker's Memorial Bridge is 6 lanes each way, I don't see the point in having a6 through lanes over lynn creek. The bridge will be the choke point either way, so adding more lanes just increases the parking lot capacity of the freeway.

To increase through traffic capacity in the future, the 4 onramps for brookbank, Mt Seymour Parkway, Dollarton and Main Street could all be fed into the right lane of the bridge, leaving the middle two lanes of the bridge for through traffic coming down the cut. Even such a drastic measure wouldn't require widening the bridge over lynn creek.

Westbound the lynn creek bridge has historically been the choke point, as traffic going across the north shore merged into the freeway just before the bridge. Now the westbound traffic coming from Mt. Seymour Parkway has it's own bridge that feeds into the climbing lane going up the cut. For westbound traffic, I think the next step would be to widen the overpass for the dollarton onramp so that 6 lanes can fit underneath it. This stretch of highway carries bridge traffic heading for Mt. Seymour parkway and will certainly become congested before the lynn creek bridge.

[jollyburger]

Overnight closures on Main Street next week to install the girders for the new onramp lanes.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/drivin...hwy1-lower-lynn/dollarton_detour_map.pdf

[jollyburger]

Looks like a few of the girders will installed last night.

[jollyburger]

It's going to be green.

Lynn Creek Bridge Recoating
Recoating of the existing Lynn Creek Bridge is now underway and a temporary containment "Bubble" has been installed over a portion of the Bridge. Inside the Bubble sandblasting will be taking place to remove old paint and debris before recoating occurs. The containment prevents the escape of debris and abrasives to the public and surrounding environment. The Bubble will move across the structure in 3 phases until work is Complete in June 2021. As the newly painted structure is revealed the Lynn Creek Bridge will be transformed from its previous faded and stained Orange colour to the same Green colour as the Lions Gate Bridge! The Green will hide discoloration and maintain it’s vibrancy much longer.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

It's going to be green.

Cue the post-COVID tourists, wandering confused along the Upper Levels in search of what the locals insist on still referring to as "the orange bridge".

[jollyburger]

Seems like the loss of orange bridges was a thing.

Despite many people's attachment to the colour, there were reasons for the new paint job. Publications from the mid-1990s indicate that colours for both parkway and tourway structures have to "match the natural setting". Pat Trippell, Bridge Manager in 2001, wrote a letter in response to the subject to explain the changes.

"In 1990 the Region had prepared a contract to repaint this bridge and sent around a memo and list of approved paint colours for bridges being repainted. The existing colour of orange was not on the approved list of colours mainly because of problems with the pigment otherwise the paint faded terribly and when touch up was required, the repainted areas looked a different colour of orange," Trippell wrote.

"At that time the options were to pick an approved colour that would best serve the needs of the Ministry. Those needs were met with choosing a colour that was recommended matched colours of bridges in the area and would be the easiest to touch up and remain in character with the area. Many structures were already painted gray and this colour would be the standard as other structures in the area are repainted," he concluded.

The Area Manager for Bridges for Central Vancouver Island, Kevin Carter, said fading paint still remains a problem today.

"A good example of the fading and difficulty in matching the orange paint is apparent on the Englishman River bridge on Highway 19A in Parksville," Carter said.

Regardless of the colour, it will continue to be known "historically as the Orange Bridge”.

https://alberni.ca/valley-heartbeat/why-orange-bridge-isnt-orange

[Jimbo604]