\u2018Not viable\u2019: Forget about Pattullo-as-park concept, ministry says<\/p>\n
Published 11:00 am Monday, February 23, 2026<\/p>\n
As work begins to deconstruct Pattullo Bridge, B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Transit officials say it\u2019s too late, unsafe and costly to save the structure as a pedestrian crossing or park of some kind.<\/p>\n
AI-generated park concept drawings have floated around social media since mid-February, when the landmark bridge closed<\/a> and four-lane stal\u0315\u0259w\u0313as\u0259m (\u201cRiverview\u201d) opened as a new connection between Surrey and New Westminster.<\/p>\n Surrey councillor Linda Annis is among those who\u2019ve pitched the idea of saving the Pattullo as a pedestrian and cycling park with trees and amenities.<\/p>\n But B.C. transportation officials say the concept is a non-starter for the old crossing, built in 1937 and now beyond its serviceable lifespan.<\/p>\n \u201cUpgrading and maintaining the existing bridge deck and foundations as a pedestrian and cyclist crossing to meet current bridge design codes is not viable,\u201d says a ministry statement sent to the Now-Leader.<\/p>\n Structural challenges with the Pattullo include \u201cdelaminating concrete, river scour around the foundations, piers not designed to withstand significant collisions with marine vessels, and seismic and wind load thresholds that do not meet current standards for new structures,\u201d the ministry says.<\/p>\n Demolition of Pattullo Bridge is included in the $1.637-billion budget for the replacement project. In order to complete construction of the new bridge, parts of the Pattullo need to be removed to connect ramp and multi-use paths to the new crossing.<\/p>\n \u201cA key part of the design of the stal\u0315\u0259w\u0313as\u0259m Bridge is high-quality walking\/cycling paths both on the bridge and connecting to the bridge,\u201d the ministry notes. \u201cThese wide walking and cycling paths will be on both sides of the new bridge, separated from traffic by a barrier, and there will be viewing platforms on each side of the bridge for walkers and cyclists.\u201d<\/p>\n On Family Day weekend, t<\/a>he Pattullo drew crowds of pedestrians and cyclists<\/a> during the final days of public access to the Fraser River crossing.<\/p>\n Annis, running for mayor with Surrey First, says the idea of turning the old bridge into a pedestrian and cycling park is worth a serious look.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s definitely lots of questions, but if there\u2019s a chance to create a major attraction that would have a positive impact on both sides of the Fraser River, it\u2019s definitely worth considering,\u201d says Annis, who points to New York\u2019s High Line as a possible model.<\/p>\n \u201cNew York turned a derelict 1930s railway spur in a former industrial neighbourhood into a 2.5-km elevated park that has become one of the city\u2019s best-known attractions for visitors and residents alike,\u201d she notes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Pattullo Bridge could become our regional version of The High Line. Taking a look at how to keep it and turn it into something everyone could enjoy is definitely worth looking at. New Yorkers saw more than an old railway line, and as a result The High Line revitalized a neighbourhood and has been a success since it opened in 2009.\u201d<\/p>\n Removal of the Pattullo will take close to two years in three phases starting with on-land structures, according to a timeline on the Pattullo Bridge Replacement <\/a>website<\/a>. Removal of the concrete below-water structures will begin this fall.<\/p>\n In Surrey, drivers can expect nighttime and weekend closures as crews complete the Highway 17 off-ramp, along with periodic closures of 112\/111a Avenue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2018Not viable\u2019: Forget about Pattullo-as-park concept, ministry says Published 11:00 am Monday, February 23, 2026 As work begins…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":494792,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194299],"tags":[49,48,87674],"class_list":["post-494791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-surrey","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-surrey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/494791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=494791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/494791\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/494792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=494791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=494791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=494791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}