Mission Bridge

Mission Bridge
Mission Bridge
Coordinates	49°07′24″N 122°18′22″W / 49.1233°N 122.306°W
Carries	4 lanes of British Columbia Highway 11
Crosses	Fraser River
Locale	Mission and Abbotsford, British Columbia
Owner	British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Preceded by	Mission Railway Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Girder bridge
Material	Steel
Total length	1126m (3694 ft)
Longest span	Circa. 120m (394 ft)
No. of spans	20
Piers in water	8
No. of lanes	4
History
Construction start	May 1969
Construction end	1972
Inaugurated	7 July 1973
Location

The Mission Bridge is a steel girder bridge across the Fraser River, linking the District Of Mission to the City of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. The bridge measures 1,126.2 m (3,695 ft) long and carries four lanes of British Columbia Highway 11. The bridge is the only fixed road crossing between Golden Ears Bridge and Agassiz-Rosedale Bridge.

History[]

Before the Mission Bridge was completed, the only link between the City of Abbotsford and the City of Mission was the CPR's Mission Railway Bridge which had wooden planks laid on the ties between the rails, and outside the rails, to allow the passage of automobile traffic. Due to floods in the 1940s and 1950s, the bridge and surrounding area were becoming inaccessible. This was causing damage to Mission's business centre because a large percentage of the revenue in Mission came from Abbotsford. In order to revitalize business, a more permanent solution was needed. The Mission Bridge project was put into action in May, 1969, with the dredging of the Fraser River's banks.

The construction of the bridge was a large undertaking. Construction of the main span occurred between May 1969 and 1972. It included 19 piers, a four-lane highway and pedestrian/bicycle routes adjacent to the main roadway. The total cost of the project was approximately $13,000,000 (CAD). The Bridge was officially opened on July 7th, 1973 by the Premier of British Columbia of the time, Dave Barrett.

Seismic retrofitting[]

Between 2012 and 2013, the bridge was seismically retrofitted, which included the strengthening of the bridge structure, the installation of a new seismic restraint system, installation of new deck joints, and painting of various components. New cycling railings and cycle approaches valued at $1.5 million were also completed as part of the superstructure improvements.^[3]

References[]

^ "Mission Bridge". google.ca/maps. Google. Retrieved 26 Jan 2022.
^ British Columbia Ministry of Highways (1974). Minister of Highways Report for the Fiscal Year 1973/74 (Report). Victoria: Government of British Columbia. doi:10.14288/1.0376296. Retrieved 26 Jan 2022.
^ Infrastructure, Transportation and (2012-05-25). "Final phase of Mission Bridge seismic upgrade underway". news.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2019-09-28.