The Bridges of Vancouver
-
courtesy
Tourism Vancouver
Lions Gate Bridge
The
Lions Gate, by most accounts, is the most beautiful bridge in Canada. It's named
because the commanding view you see as you travel north on it is of the snowy
twin peaks of a mountain; they resemble the ears of a lion and are called not
surprisingly, The Lions. Connecting North Vancouver to the downtown, this bridge
is the stuff of countless postcards and endless intrigue.
The bridge was built by the First Narrows Bridge Company with
engineering provided by Monsarrat and Pratley of Montreal and Swan Wooster
Engineering of Vancouver.
For more than a decade during the '90s, the possibility of
replacing it occupied dozens of politicians, hundreds of consultants and
thousands of local residents. Built in 1938 for $6 million and now with more
than 60,000 cars crossing it daily.
Its future was finally solved: The government of the day
rejected the decade of replacement studies and opted to give it a major
overhaul, replacing the road deck section-by-massive-section.
Ironworkers Memorial Bridge
Neither as sleek nor as stylish as its western colleague, the
Second Narrows bridge is twice as busy (120,000 cars a day), far wider and much
safer during earthquakes.
It wasn't the first bridge to be built there - several
disastrous forays ended in deaths, lawsuits and huge damage claims from previous
attempts - and even the present bridge wasn't always so secure.
Midway through construction, in June 1958, the north anchor
arm buckled, killing 18 workers. Ironically, some of them died because they were
held to the bridge by safety belts to prevent them from falling. It took $19
million, five more lives lost and two additional years before the 3.2-km
(2-mile) span was finally finished.
In 1994, the Second Narrows was renamed the Ironworkers
Memorial Bridge to commemorate the number of people killed trying to bridge the
Second Narrows.
Capilano
Suspension Bridge
The Capilano Suspension Bridge is probably the most popular
toll bridge ever invented. Swaying 70 metres (230 feet) above the Capilano River
Canyon, this skyway is built mainly of cedar and hemp. It remains the longest
and highest suspended footbridge in the world.
The bridge was inspired by an 1888 display at the Glasgow
International Exhibition. A year later, Scottish engineer George Mackay moved to
BC and began paving the Capilano Gorge.
Stringing up the 137-metre (449-foot) span was his first step.
It has since become a major attraction for tourists (830,000 per year.) For
comparison, there's also a suspension bridge swinging for free in Lynn Canyon.
The Capilano Bridge has been selected by Attractions Canada as
British Columbia's Best Outdoor Attraction.
