Final touches complete on seismic retrofit to B.C.’s Mission Bridge

British Columbia’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said that the final touches are now complete on the $21 million seismic safety retrofit to the Mission Bridge crossing of the Fraser River on Highway 11.

“We continue to upgrade our infrastructure to protect British Columbians in the event of a major earthquake,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone in a press release on Thursday. “The Mission Bridge project is part of $61 million that the province has invested since 2001 to strengthen our existing bridges via seismic retrofit projects.”

Naomi Yamamoto, the province’s Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness, added that “given that we live in a seismically active region, it is important to invest in infrastructure designed to withstand the impacts possible with catastrophic earthquakes.”

The release from the ministry noted that in the spring of 2015, Fraser River Pile and Dredge Inc. of New Westminster was awarded a $636,000 contract for the final phase of construction. Work focused on the north side of the bridge to improve the earthquake resistance of the ground and bridge footings, and included densifying the soils under the bridge adjacent to the river, extending the existing berm and implementing a seismic drainage system to further protect the bridge.

The last of six phases completes the multi-year seismic project that began in 2010. Work finished under the previous phases included column and beam strengthening, new deck joints, slope stabilization, a new seismic restraint system and cycle railings.

“The Mission Bridge is a critical link between the municipalities of Abbotsford and Mission and this seismic upgrade will ensure the safety of all those using the Highway 11 corridor,” said Abbotsford-Mission MLA Simon Gibson.

The seismic retrofit comes just six months after the province said that it would conduct its first-ever full-scale major earthquake and tsunami response exercise this year. A $1 million investment will support the provincially-led exercise, which will test elements of the new B.C. Earthquake Immediate Response Plan.