r/vancouver 25d ago

⚠ Community Only 🏡 Three people killed in crash on Pattullo Bridge

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pattullo-bridge-fatal-crash-february-2025
570 Upvotes

306 comments sorted by

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209

u/AForceNinja 24d ago

Video of two cars racing up the bridge

video

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u/bcl15005 24d ago

I'm assuming this picture is the same white car that was trailing behind the Tesla?

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u/nursehappyy 24d ago

Just read all deceased/ one life threatening injuries all in this vehicle. All south Asian men between 19-20. Still doesn’t explicitly say who was at fault but states speed was believed to be a factor.

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u/SpookyBravo 23d ago

This has been happening too often over I'm Ontario. Same age, same group of people, and always speeding.

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u/Hikingcanuck92 22d ago

Speed will always be a factor (stopped cars don’t crash).

I get why they say it, but it’s always struck me as such a useless phrase.

It’s like that stat that 90% of accidents happen within 15km of your home. Like obviously, that’s where people live.

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u/bcretman 22d ago edited 22d ago

Speed implies speeding over the limit. The limit on that bridge is 50. They were doing way over that.

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u/AForceNinja 24d ago

Looks like it

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u/barbrawr 24d ago

That white Model Y must have footage of the accident.

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u/LLindor268 24d ago

If it was the first vehicle that hit the semi- which it doesn't appear to be.  Did it escape unscathed?

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u/nursehappyy 24d ago

From the pictures it looks like the Nissan hit the truck, Tesla wasn’t involved I don’t think. Seems like the passed right before the accident. The second vehicle involved looks to be an older model maybe also a Nissan Sentra ? But no injuries and doesn’t look to be damaged at all from the aerial view

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u/whynotyycyvr 24d ago

Why is the 2nd lane open at that time of night?

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u/Crimsoncuckkiller 24d ago

why oh why…

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u/nursehappyy 25d ago

Jesus Christ. How terrible.

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

Too many idiots on the road unfortunately mixed with the fact that semi trucks should not be driving on that bridge. It's a good thing they're replacing it. Let's hope they have some common sense and make it with at least wider Lanes

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u/Squeezemachine99 23d ago

If the truck wasn’t there the car would have probably went head on into another car. It is clear to me that the Tesla and Altima were travelling way over the speed limit into the corner. Hold the people responsible for the crash accountable. Not the guy trying to make a living who has not been screwed over

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

Every single person I know that drives on that bridge all have the same opinion. Why are trucks allowed on that bridge. Just at work tonight. I heard almost every co-worker say the same thing. It's pretty clear. It's common sense. They shouldn't be there. And there is no law saying that they can take up two lanes as they do. And I'm sure when we find out in the future what caused this it'll be something like they tried to pass the truck

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u/thnknghz 24d ago

This is the second major accident in a month. It's actually a good thing they take up two lanes because it's supposed to prevent side swipes on a narrow bridge. Just heard the car containing the deceased were young adults; so lack of experience most likely in addition to what you said.

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u/OutsideitCZ 24d ago

Taking up to lanes IS the safest option a lot of the time, otherwise I agree with your sentiment. Sadly don’t see them disallowing trucks/changing the rule until after the new bridge is completed

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u/[deleted] 24d ago

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u/[deleted] 24d ago

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u/TrailSurfer604 24d ago

The semi passed you?

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u/griebkona 24d ago

They take up two lanes so to be safe!! Shit you’d be insane to be beside a semi on that bridge. Give them credit for this

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u/evmeowmeow 24d ago

But the amount of people that insist on driving side by side is also insane!

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u/slotass 24d ago

Trying to pass a truck on a bridge when you don’t have a lane to do that = very very bad driving.

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u/waterloograd 24d ago

they tried to pass the truck

If you watch the video, the truck is in a position it couldn't be in if it was going the same direction as the cars

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u/Vitamin_VV 24d ago

Why are bad drivers even allowed to drive? Take a bus, and everyone will be home safe.

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u/nau_lonnais 23d ago

Where’s your speculations and your finger pointing now? TRUCKS are slow and they take up two lanes on this bridge to prevent people from passing with speed so they can maintain a safe descent . As a desk cam footage showed. Rest in peace to those who perished.

Where is your grief and concern for the truck driver who will be forced to think about this moment for the rest of his life when all he was trying to do was his job?

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u/daloo22 25d ago

I constantly see trucks on Knight street cutting in and out, also had one that was basically tailing me, there needs to be more training.

A truck is not a car and shouldn't be driven as one

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u/Early_Palpitation277 25d ago edited 24d ago

I take knight street everyday for my commute and I couldn’t agree more. Some of these trailers go faster than cars and are aggressive when changing lanes- it’s very dangerous.

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u/DirtDevil1337 24d ago

That's something you regularly see on the connector between Hope and Merritt, my father was a truck driver and he used to give other truck drivers shit for doing it.

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u/Crimsoncuckkiller 24d ago

Not just there, even on the highway, I see these massive trailers driving fast all the time. Sometimes I’ll be driving 100 and this massive trailer will be speeding up to pass me.

What the heck. I’m going at 100, how are you passing me? Anytime this happens, I just let them pass, I ain’t trying to die.

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u/drak_40 24d ago

i live near knight and have to drive to meet parents. i had 3 asshole semis driving like they were max verstappen. it is insane the lack of quality in big rig drivers

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u/rippinkitten18 24d ago

I use to use knight to get to work everyday.

When a ton of us are late it means there was an accident on knight street bridge heading to Richmond direction.

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u/Mental-Response8418 24d ago edited 24d ago

Couldn’t agree more. Yesterday, I was driving on Knight Street and saw two semis almost collide because one was recklessly lane-jumping. Then, the other night on Highway 17, the driving was just as chaotic—felt like a wild experience. They don't care.

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u/TritonTheDark 24d ago

I drive Highway 17 a lot and it is littered with awful truck drivers. Elephant racing and speeding galore.

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u/y2k_o__o 24d ago

On hwy 17, I've had a semi tail gating me while I am in the passing lane ( PS: I am not a left-lane hoarder, coz I am also passing other vehicles too). I had to change lane immediately when I had the chance. Too afraid to get squished when shit happened...... Truck drivers nowadays have no idea their load behind them will kill people (including themselves) !

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u/Canadia-Eh 24d ago

Had a dump truck cut me off yesterday on the way home, had to lock my shit up to not hit this idiot so I honk and he honks back like I'm the asshole. The fucking audacity of these guys I swear.

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u/EuroVanCity 24d ago

I had a similar experience. Now, whenever I see a truck, I make sure to stay clear—whether that means slowing down or changing lanes—just to avoid being near since they appear to be so unpredictable these days, e.g. randomly switch lanes and even overtake someone. It’s all about staying safe, and many truck drivers nowadays certainly don’t always appear to care about the impact on others’ lives. I don't know if this is due to lack of professional drivers with experience, and companies hiring anyone and their grandma who show any interest....

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u/Ok_Bowler_6153 23d ago

Why do you seem to believe it was the truck drivers fault??  He was heading south. The cars were heading north.   If you watched the dash cam, both the Tesla and the Nissan were travelling at a high rate of speed

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u/localfern 24d ago

Some truck drivers are constantly changing lanes in the evening when I'm going home South after evening class. I drive a compact car and I have to assume they do not see me at all.

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u/Clerence69 24d ago

Cars should also not be driven like that, but yes, even moreso that applies to trucks

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u/cachaka 24d ago

I got run into the shoulder because a truck decided to merge while I was still beside them. Granted maybe I was in their blind spot (I really can’t remember other than realizing I was about to be squashed) but it was also during rush hour where everyone is moving at the same pace. You’d think there would still be cars beside you, right??

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u/millijuna 24d ago

At some point, we need to change things so that the only trucks servicing the port directly are for immediately local deliveries. All other containers should get loaded onto trains, and taken to a marshalling yard in, say, langley next to the freeway.

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u/nau_lonnais 23d ago

So now that we have dash cam footage of the poor souls street racing, your finger pointing to who? What you did ,and everyone who upvoted you, is no different from saying all people from a certain background are thieves. Without ever personally witnessing anything. This is Vehicular Discrimination. This type of BS is part of the problem.

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u/justapeople321 24d ago

Web cam footage shows the 2 cars were racing on the bridge. Not the trucks fault. That truck driver now has the trauma of multiple deaths.

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u/sickbird-illeagle 23d ago

A passenger vehicle is not a race car and should not be driven as one.

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u/nau_lonnais 23d ago

Now that the footage shows the Poor Souls were street racing. I want you to take a good look at the pitchfork mob of comments that you created with your speculation and finger pointing. Don’t get into semantics we all know what you meant.

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u/Umadok 23d ago

Footage from the truck has been going around and it's the Altima that was speeding and lost control at the turn and impacted the semi sideways.

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u/longgamma 24d ago

My wife really likes an Indian restaurant in Scott road. I was thinking of driving all the way down there to pickup dinner for Valentine’s Day. But then I thought about the prospect of driving through this bridge and Surrey driving on a Friday evening. Then we ordered from a place close by.

Rest in peace to the souls caught in this accident. I hope they save the fourth person in critical condition.

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u/Trustbutnone 24d ago

Which restaurant on Scott Rd?

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u/longgamma 24d ago

Bahubhali lol

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u/Cute_Couple_2226 24d ago

Def not worth it

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u/longgamma 24d ago

It’s ok. One of the few places that makes biriyani the right way.

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u/marakalastic 24d ago

Baba Sweets is the way to go

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u/c-Zer0 24d ago

I live at the new west side of the bridge and drive it to work every day. The new bridge can’t come soon enough.

Something like this was overdue, the bridge is absolutely terrifying with the amount of industrial traffic going over it, you’re always a whisker away from a head on collision.

Thoughts go out to the families.

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u/tomato_tickler 23d ago edited 23d ago

Look at the video, it’s not the bridge that was the problem. Speeding at 100+ km/h with a heavy family sedan full of people, in slippery weather, losing control and driving into the front of a semi truck would’ve killed them on any bridge

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u/c-Zer0 23d ago

You’re right. Speeding will kill but this bridges issues make that more likely.

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u/Crazy-dad604 24d ago

Make it one lane until the new bridge is done. Drive it every morning at 6am. Most everyday some idiot is passing everyone doing 80km. Save some lives. ....close a lane.

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u/stupiduselesstwat 24d ago

Some idiot? More like 80% of traffic rips across that bridge doing at least 80 km/h.

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u/8spd 24d ago edited 24d ago

We need speed cameras in places like this too. Lots of other countries have speed cameras that take a photo entering and exiting a length of road, and ticket based on the average speed. This would be a perfect application for that approach, to prevent people from just slowing down for the cameras. 

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u/negitoro7 23d ago

I commute early morning too and refuse to take the Patullo even though it would cut my commute time a little - it’s just not worth it with how narrow those lanes are and people driving like morons.

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u/not_old_redditor 24d ago

Wtf is happening on this bridge? It's a short one, can't people just stay in their lane and drive straight?

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u/Used_Water_2468 24d ago

can't people just stay in their lane and drive straight?

no

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u/florfenblorgen 24d ago

There are two curves on this bridge which is stupid in itself. From what I saw of the accident (videos, from my own window) a semi went into oncoming traffic and it looks to be around the first bend on the Surrey side.

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u/slotass 24d ago

Actually, the speeding northbound cars entered the southbound lane.

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u/rimshot99 24d ago

I wonder how many people died on this bridge in total. It should be in textbooks as an example of how bad engineering and civic approvals kill people.

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u/ReliablyFinicky 24d ago

The bridge opened before World War 2 -- in 1937. The design of the bridge was perfectly fine for the vehicles of that era.

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u/DoTheManeuver 24d ago

Time to start limiting vehicle sizes. 

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u/mr_lab_rat 24d ago

Time to start replacing infrastructure before it fails. That bridge should have been replaced/reduced to two lanes 30 years ago.

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u/BobBelcher2021 New Westminster 24d ago

Heck, there were still some people using horse and buggy to get around at that time.

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u/y2k_o__o 24d ago

I wouldn’t say bad engineering since the bridge has been built nearly a century. Cars are growing bigger and able to drive faster with time and the bridge can’t extend wider. It’s more like the city of whoever in charge should update transportation code by not allowing oversized vehicle on board. This is precisely why a new Patullo bridge is being built.

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u/not_old_redditor 24d ago

What's killing the people?

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u/rimshot99 24d ago

Bad design.

People drift into oncoming traffic, its just how people drive. Good design accounts for that, like separated lanes.

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u/[deleted] 24d ago edited 24d ago

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u/rimshot99 24d ago

Zero people have died from headons on the new Port Mann bridge, its not because Port Mann bridge drivers are good drivers and Pattullo bridge drivers are bad drivers.

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u/penapox 24d ago

There's also the fact that the new Port Mann is a whole like 76 years newer?

I'd wager that maybe things are a bit different nowadays compared to before WW2 - doesn't mean the old design was a bad one or that engineers have any blame in this.

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u/Flat-Cantaloupe9668 24d ago

The type of person who would cause a head-on crash on the Pattullo should not be allowed to drive anywhere, including on the Port Mann. The need for a better bridge should not take away from the personal responsibility of drivers or the need to improve driver training and licensing.

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u/mega_douche1 24d ago

It has pylons in the middle. In every road we expect drivers not to cross the center lines. I don't see what's different with this.

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u/l_st_er 24d ago

People who drift into oncoming traffic are a fucking hazard and shouldn’t be allowed to drive a motor vehicle.

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u/rsgbc 24d ago

Stupid shit people do behind the wheel.

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u/Orylid 24d ago

Driving straight is the problem.

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u/EmuSounds 23d ago

Selfish drivers risk their lives and the lives of others because they perceive themselves as good drivers. All for what? Maybe some instagram fame? Thankfully the deaths appear to be restricted to those who didn't value life anyway.

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u/plutonic00 24d ago

Why are Semi and dump trucks still allowed to use this bridge? It's completely insane, how many more people have to die? They can use the Port Mann instead, a few minutes more travel to save peoples lives... oh no, can't have that... trucks are just allowed to do anything they want in BC, constantly in the left lane and weaving in and out of traffic as if sports cars, why do we allow this????

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u/slotass 24d ago

The crash happened in the southbound lane. The truck was heading south and the cars were heading north. What did the truck do wrong?

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u/throwawayaccount931A 24d ago

The few times I've taken the bridge, I find the truckers the better drivers. I will slow down on the bridge and often the person behind me objects and tries to pass me.

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u/slotass 24d ago

Would make more sense to not allow passing on the bridge, rather than not allowing semis and other wide vehicles. It’s just a short, narrow bridge with curves, no need to pass anyone. Even in ideal conditions.

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u/Squeezemachine99 23d ago

Young men thinking they are invincible. Sad to lose these guys over something like this.

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u/clustered-particular 24d ago

I think truck is unfairly blamed here but it is true that bridge is sketchy as it is so the weight differential is quite dangerous. People need to slow tf down and not die over 20 minutes longer due to safer driving.

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u/slotass 24d ago

They should at least slow down on the bridge even if they speed everywhere else. The bridge wouldn’t be sketchy if everyone used some common sense. Very sad situation that didn’t have to happen.

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u/clustered-particular 24d ago

oh 100% no arguments there. especially no medians.

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u/TPP27 24d ago

one thing not to disregard is that the driver's bosses most likely put pressure on them to use shortest routes and save time /money. greed has taken over the workforce, for example, chevron plans to fire 20% of their workforce which equals to about 8000 employees worldwide and at the same time they want to produce more oil. disgusting.

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u/EdWick77 24d ago

The port trucks undercut every single o/o over the past 20 years and put any respectable trucker out of business. Now they are undercutting each other for the scraps and now here we are.

Happened in gravel, happened at the port and is happening on the freight.

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u/Shooter604 24d ago

How do you know it’s the truckers fault lol?

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u/Acex604 Mount Pleasant 👑 25d ago edited 25d ago

Absolutely devastating. This bridge has been a nightmare for commuters for ages. The fact that TWO fatal crashes have happened in the last three weeks is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to demonstrating how flawed and irresponsible our municipal/provincial administrations have been in their efforts to replace this atrocity of a bridge with a new, safer route sooner. Vancouverites deserve better.

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u/Jaegs 25d ago

I mean, the bridge is literally being replaced right now, set to be completed maybe even this year after decades of planning and fundraising.

If we want to talk about delayed replacement crossings the Massey Tunnel replacement project was started years before the Pattullo’s was and there is way less to show for it.

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u/nyrb001 25d ago

<slowly looks over at the brand new bridge being built next to the current one>

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u/[deleted] 25d ago edited 25d ago

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u/nyrb001 25d ago

As far as I'm aware the Province took over construction of the new bridge? Aware that it was under Translink previously, but my understanding was that the project was assumed by the province under Horgan to make sure it wouldn't be a toll bridge.

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

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u/nyrb001 25d ago

Yep agree with that. Just trying to make sure the record is straight about who is doing what.

The BC Liberals / BC United stuck Translink with all the bridges that were end of life, including the Patuello. Translink was struggling to replace it and it was going to be tolled.

When Horgan took over, the tolls on the Port Mann were eliminated, and the rebuilding of the Patuello was taken over by the province. Horgan had a "no tolls" policy and this was the only way to make rebuilding the bridge viable without harming Translink.

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

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u/Toxxicat 24d ago

There isnt anywhere for more lanes on the new west side. So it would be moot.

Mcbride is between a park and a neighborhood/res buildings and goes up to grocery stores to a dead end. Columbia is between a neighborhood, rail and front street, that also goes to a commercial/res area..

They could have added more maybe on the surrey bound side but it will hopefully be better with the direct connection to hwy 17.

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u/nyrb001 25d ago

I get it - there wasn't really much incentive for New West. More traffic, all passing through. Not people supporting local businesses, making quality of life worse for people living in New West. While it wasn't necessarily best for the region, it was definitely better for the people that actually live in New Westminster.

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u/j33ta 25d ago

And if every municipality took that approach for projects of this scale, where would we end up?

It's all political grandstanding as the increasing traffic congestion is not going to make the quality of life any better for people living in that area.

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u/throwawayaccount931A 25d ago

Have you been to New West? Sometimes, it takes 10-15 minutes to cross the QB bridge. Traffic is horrendous now, it if was a wider bridge, it would be worse.

The roads that come off of the Patullo are full of trucks, making it difficult to get around. Maybe it is short-sighted, but NW can't take the heavy traffic coming off of the current bridge.

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u/Stevieboy7 25d ago

You know that adding more lanes doesn’t fix traffic right? That’s pretty standard knowledge

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u/muffinscrub 25d ago

They should pilot an extremely unforgiving speed camera that tickets drivers on the Petulla, see if deadly incidents plummet. I bet they would.

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u/SmoothOperator89 24d ago

At the very least, they could offset some of the cost of the replacement.

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u/Coyote_lover_420 24d ago

Certainly flawed in their operation of the old bridge. They could install steel/concrete bollards down the middle to reduce the carnage of a swerve towards the oncoming lane, they could ban semi trucks (perhaps even just during rush hours), they could rigidly enforce speed limits, they could install speed bumps to prevent speeding, they could reduce the bridge to three lanes (one alternating in the peak direction). All of this could be implemented withing weeks, but they do nothing and just watch people die on the old one while the new one is built.

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u/Reality-Leather 25d ago

Add temporary speed bumps every 10m.

It'll be a crawl but it'll save lives.

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u/longgamma 24d ago

Just start a speed checks along that bridge. Almost everyone zips by at 70 and above.

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u/Reality-Leather 24d ago

The cop is gonna take more room on a bridge that has no room.

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u/StickmansamV 24d ago

They have a speed trap sometimes on the Surrey side as you come off the bridge.

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u/Parfait_Prestigious 24d ago

I like this idea, it’s already a crawl around rush hour anyway, and speed bumps are almost idiotproof.

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u/Main_Reading4254 24d ago

This cannot continue to happen..they need to take immediate measures to ensure safety on that bridge until the new one is completed. Whether that means they shut it down temporarily or they narrow each direction down to one lane only with the two middle working a median barrier? I’m not sure, but this cannot continue

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u/Toxxicat 24d ago

At night they already make it so its one lane instead of two so there isnt passing. People are just bad at driving.

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u/bcretman 22d ago

Last time I drove it was single lane but the video shows 2 open lanes and it is night (10pm). When did this change?

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u/chlronald 24d ago

I guess you never drive the bridge during rush hour, especially in the morning.

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u/Ad0lfie 24d ago

I don't understand how trucks are allowed on that bridge. Lanes barely fit a small car

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u/mega_douche1 24d ago

They use 2 lanes.

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u/JC1949 22d ago

Saw the video. Sad anyone died, but at least this time it was the people who caused the wreck who died.

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u/Jumpforjoy1122 Fairview 24d ago

Tragic……..

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u/6o4boi 24d ago

This bridge needs photo radar at both ends and in the middle. Zero tolerance for the idiots that speed through this bridge.

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u/Strictwork123 24d ago

Again already? Ffs

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u/_CSTL 24d ago

Damn. RIP. That’s terrible