It could be quite a spectacle, and the city is even offering up bleacher seating for residents who want to come out to witness history in Chilliwack this morning.
The new $11-million Vedder Bridge, which has been constructed at a local facility in Delta, will be moved into place to span the Vedder River starting at 9 a.m.
The new span is replacing the old bridge that was constructed in 1947. The city says the old bridge can’t properly clear flood waters and does not meet modern lane width standards.
In 2015, the city decided to replace the bridge with a span that will have wider travel lanes and shoulders along with two multi-use pathways to accommodate two-way pedestrian and cyclist traffic, as well as better flooding clearance.
The city says a special support system, which along with the bridge weighs 420 tonnes, will be used in conjunction with hydraulic jacks and skid shoes to propel the bridge across the river without any in-stream temporary supports.
Although the bridge is 80 meters in length, the city says the critical part of the launch is the first 60 meters when the bridge is cantilevered over the river, until the south end of the bridge touches down on the pier.
It is anticipated that the first 60 meters of travel will be completed on Tuesday. The remaining 20 meters of travel requires a series of detailed and coordinated steps and is anticipated to take two to three days to complete.
The city says the bridge system has been designed to minimize the amount of work needed to be completed over water, as completing work over land is far safer, more productive and cost effective.
The move will impact traffic — single-lane closures will continue through April. But the city says the necessary works are being scheduled prior to the higher traffic volumes coming later this spring. The contractor is working to minimize delays but intermittent traffic impacts can be expected throughout the day.
The time lapse of the bridge move:
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