New Westminster Bridge

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New Westminster Bridge
File:New Westminster Swing Bridge.jpg
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Carries Freight and passenger trains
Originally, trains and automobiles
Crosses Fraser River
Locale New Westminster
Surrey
Owner Government of Canada
Maintained by Canadian National Railway
Characteristics
Design Swing bridge
Material Steel[1]
Pier construction Granite[1]
Total length 2,400 ft (731.5 m) (not including approaches) [1]
Longest span 380 ft (120 m)[2]
Number of spans 4
Clearance below 22 ft (6.7 m)[3]:{{{3}}}
History
Designer Waddel & Hedrick[1]
Construction begin August 1902[1]
Opened July 23, 1904[1]
Statistics
Daily traffic 46 freight trains per day[4]

The New Westminster Bridge (also known as the New Westminster Rail Bridge (NSRW)[3] or the Fraser River Swing Bridge) is a swing bridge that crosses the Fraser River and connects New Westminster with Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

The bridge is owned by the Government of Canada, operated and maintained by the Canadian National Railway, with the Southern Railway of British Columbia (SRY), Canadian Pacific Railway, and BNSF Railway having track usage rights,[3] as do Amtrak's Cascades (with service to Portland and Seattle) and Via Rail's The Canadian (with service to Toronto).

History

File:TRAIN BRIDGE FIRE 1979-80 1.tif
Fire on the New Westminster Bridge in May 1982

The New Westminster Bridge was constructed in 1904 and formally opened on July 23 by the Lieutenant governor of British Columbia.[5] It was originally built with two decks; the lower deck was used for rail traffic while the upper deck was used for automobile traffic.[6]

Crossing the river prior to the construction of the New Westminster Bridge required using the K de K ferry[7] which would dock at the present day neighbourhood of South Westminster (formerly the historic community of Brownsville) located in the city of Surrey.

The toll for the upper bridge was 25 cents[citation needed] and created quite an uproar for farmers who found out quickly that by taking their livestock across on foot would cost them a quarter a head but if they put them in a truck it cost a quarter for the whole load.

The bridge was the preferred method of transport across the Fraser until the opening of the Pattullo Bridge in 1937. The upper deck was removed and the bridge was converted exclusively for rail use. On May 29, 1982, a significant fire broke out on the New Westminster Bridge.[8] On November 28, 1987, a barge struck the bridge. The resulting legal action of Canadian National Railway Co. v. Norsk Pacific Steamship Co. became a leading Supreme Court of Canada decision.[9]

As of 2004, the speed limit for trains was 11 miles per hour (18 kilometres per hour), which had been increased from 8 mph (13 km/h).[3]:{{{3}}}

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GVGC
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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