The infamous Lions Gate bump is coming back – but this time the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says it shouldn’t be the world-class pain-in-the-rump it was last year.
The ministry installed the 4.5-centimetre bump in August 2015 to allow crews to do rehabilitation work on the Lions Gate Bridge joints.
The bump was blamed for some of the worst traffic jams in recent memory. The sudden braking of vehicles before the bump triggered a chain reaction traffic jam that stretched for kilometres in all directions.
The choking of the bridge led TransLink to reroute its 240, 241, 246 and 247 buses to the SeaBus but with only two SeaBuses on the water, crowds were lined up well outside the terminal at peak periods.
After months spent back at the drawing board, the ministry announced this week that the new “temporary bridge cover” will be a much smoother crossing, thanks to 13-metre asphalt ramps on either side.
Testing of the new cover has proven successful, according to Kirsten Pedersen, regional director for the ministry’s South Coast region.
“We’ve been using trucks, regular vehicles as well, we’ve been working with the West Vancouver Blue Bus service,” Pedersen said. “We’ve been testing the vehicles at various speeds ranging from about 60 kilometres an hour up to 80 and 90 kilometres and no one will be slamming their brakes. It will be unnoticeable to the travelling public.”
With the new temporary cover installed, crews should be able to complete the bridge rehabilitation work over the next eight weeks.
But even with a smoother ride, motorists are being cautioned about lane closures while the new bump is installed this weekend. Installation will require a single-lane closure from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 2 followed by single-lane alternating traffic until 9 a.m. on Sunday.
“Motorists should expect delays during this period and may want to consider an alternate route,” the ministry’s release stated.
The ministry has timed the project so the new temporary cover could be installed while the weather is good but before the summer tourism season ramps up, bringing heavier traffic volumes.
