Heavy snowfall in Metro Vancouver leads to closure of Alex Fraser Bridge

A snowfall warning for Metro Vancouver was lifted Saturday as wintry weather led to the closure of northbound lanes on the Alex Fraser Bridge.

B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure tweeted Saturday afternoon that northbound lanes were being closed out of an abundance of caution. They began to re-open at 5:45 p.m.

Snowfall warnings remain in effect for the Fraser Valley, Sunshine Coast and east Vancouver Island.

This comes after Friday’s difficult commute for drivers. Things didn’t improve overnight with reports of freezing rain in the Fraser Valley that led to slick and icy roads. Environment Canada lifted its snowfall Saturday morning, although snow was still falling across parts of Metro Vancouver well into the afternoon.

Drivers heading to downtown Vancouver Saturday could face a difficult commute as snow is expected to fall for much of the day.

If Friday’s commute is any indication, Saturday could prove to be an interesting day for transit users.

Canada Line service was shut down between Marine Drive and Bridgeport Station Friday evening, affecting hundreds of commuters.

TransLink said wintry conditions are once again affecting service. HandyDart buses are operating essential services for renal and cancer patients. Several bus routes are being rerouted due to downed trolley wires in Kerrisdale.

“When you have a fleet of 1,500 vehicles and you’ve got extremely heavy snow conditions, there will be delays,” TransLink spokesperson Anne Drennan said. “People need to know that, need to expect it and adapt.”

BC Hydro was working to restore power to more than 20,000 customers Saturday morning. On Vancouver Island, approximately 60 outages have cut power to more than 11,000 customers as of 9 a.m. Crews are also working on outages in areas around Sunshine Coast, Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby.