Weekend closures scheduled for Lions Gate Bridge as crews prepare for joint work

Drivers headed to and from the North Shore this weekend are being warned to prepare for delays, with crews scheduled to conduct repairs to the span.

The District of West Vancouver says crews will be doing preparatory work on an expansion joint on the bridge’s north tower.

Work on the joint is set to take place from 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday with the following lane closures:

• 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 20 – one lane open in each direction
• 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 20, to 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 21 – single-lane, alternating traffic

This weekend’s work will consist of installing a “temporary construction bridge” to cover the joint that crews will actually be working on for several months.

The district said the temporary cover’s design “includes long, smooth tapered approaches to ensure motorists do not experience any bumps while driving over the bridge.”

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That’s after the province ran into trouble with a 4.5 centimetre “bump” it installed at the bridge’s south end in 2015 to cover a work space.

Drivers slowed down as they approached the so-called “Lions Gate Bump, leading to traffic chaos.

The new temporary bridge piece is slated to remain in place while crews conduct work scheduled into October.

The district is encouraging drivers to use the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge as an alternative route this weekend.