Three time's a charm for the beloved connector. — Eyoälha Baker
Did you know that the Granville Street Bridge, which spans False Creek and Granville Island and connects Vancouver's West Side to the downtown core, is in its third iteration? The first one, a swing span trestle bridge, was completed in 1889 and cost $16,000 to build. It had wire ropes attached to a central wooden tower that could move a section of the bridge out, and was widened to accommodate streetcars in 1891.
The second moving trestle bridge, a slightly longer version made of steel, went up in 1909, while the third, and current, steel bridge was completed without a moving section in 1954, costing a sweet $16.5 million. (Fun fact: when the first two bridges opened they were “inaugurated” by the same woman, who drove across in a brand-new Cadillac.)
Vancouver has grown exponentially since the first bridge went up in 1889: in its first month in existence, one million cars passed over the eight lanes of our current Granville Street Bridge. The city has also developed a strong arts and culture presence. In 2014 that fact was celebrated when Brazilian street artists, Os Gemeos, backed by the non-profit organization The Vancouver Biennale, decorated Granville Island’s six gigantic concrete silos with colourful murals, adding a colourful accessory to the already-beautiful bridge.
Then Photo: Granville Street Bridge 1888, by James S. Matthews. Vancouver Archives. Now Photo Credit: Eyoälha Baker
