The north end of the Granville Street bridge is pictured in Vancouver, B.C., on Feb. 8, 2023. The bridge’s redesign will see the removal of traffic loops at the north end of the bridge. (Ben Nelms/CBC) The long-planned redesign of the Granville Bridge begins next week with a first-phase focus on repurposing the two western-most vehicle lanes on the bridge deck exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists.
The project will see the removal of traffic loops at the north end of the bridge, which currently present a harrowing impediment for those on foot or bike trying to get onto or off the bridge deck. They will be replaced with a new network of streets.
City of Vancouver Transportation Director Paul Storer said removing the loops eliminates a vestige of old-school road design for a bridge that was originally intended to connect with a highway.
"This creates significantly better walking-cycling connections and also unlocks [nearby] properties for redevelopment, including replacement of social housing and other city priorities," he said.
Watch: Cyclist says Granville Bridge upgrades will help make crossing safer Cyclist describes perils of biking across the Granville Bridge 4 hours ago Duration 0:39 The Granville Bridge dates back to the 1950s and is the last of the three False Creek crossings to receive pedestrian and cycling upgrades.
Pre-COVID-19, approximately 65,000 vehicles crossed the eight lane span daily, well under capacity, according to Storer.
"When we look at traffic volumes, essentially the vehicles can fit into two lanes in either direction, which means there’s a lot […]
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