New Westminster Bridge
New Westminster Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 49°12′29″N 122°53′39″W / 49.208167°N 122.894204°W |
| Carries | 1 railway track |
| 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] |
| No. of spans | 4 |
| Rail characteristics | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Electrified | No |
| History | |
| Designer | Waddel & Hedrick[1] |
| Construction start | August 1902[1] |
| Opened | 23 July, 1904[1] |
| Location | |
 | |
The New Westminster Bridge (also known as the New Westminster Rail Bridge (NSRW)[2] 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,[2] as do Amtrak's Cascades (with service to Portland and Seattle) and Via Rail's The Canadian (with service to Toronto).
History
The New Westminster Bridge was constructed in 1904 and formally opened on 23 July by the Lieutenant governor of British Columbia.[1] It was originally built with two decks; the lower deck was used for rail traffic while the upper deck was used for automobile traffic.
Crossing the river prior to the construction of the New Westminster Bridge required using the K de K ferry[3] 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.[4] On 28 November 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.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Legacy of Waddell & Harrington Sets Stage for Future Success". Hardesty & Hanover.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "Greater Vancouver Gateway Council - Lower Mainland Rail Infrastructure Study" (PDF). City of Vancouver. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
- ^ "Bo P275 - ["K de K" steam ferry on the Fraser River]". City of Vancouver. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ "New Westminster Bridge fire with tugboats attending". City of New Westminster. May 29, 1982. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ^ "Case summary". www.taylorfrancis.com.
External links
Media related to New Westminster Bridge at Wikimedia Commons- Archival photos of the bridge from the New Westminster Public Library
