New Pattullo Bridge Opening Day

The iconic old Pattullo Bridge, which spans the Fraser River connecting Surrey and New Westminster, will soon be replaced with a new four-lane toll-free bridge this winter. The new build will provide improvements for everyone using the bridge, including people who are driving, cycling or walking, as well as communities on either side.

Features of the New Pattullo Bridge

• A safer crossing for all bridge users with modern, wider lanes, separated by a centre median barrier
• Dedicated walking and cycling lanes, separated from traffic by a barrier on both sides of the bridge
• Better connections to, from and near the bridge

Switching to the New Bridge

The new Pattullo bridge is scheduled to open by Christmas 2025. On opening day, it will connect to King George Boulevard in Surrey and McBride Boulevard in New Westminster. The off-ramp to East Columbia Street in New Westminster will also be open.

The existing bridge will remain in use until the new bridge is open to traffic. Once the new bridge is open, the existing bridge will be removed. The removal process for the Pattullo Bridge will take approximately two years. The old Port Mann Bridge took three years to demolish.

Traffic will be switched to the new bridge in phases, to allow for completion of the tie-ins to the roadways on either side:

• On the New Westminster side:
  • On opening day, the new bridge will connect to McBride Boulevard in New Westminster, and a new off-ramp from the bridge to East Columbia Street will also be open.
  • The new Royal Avenue on-ramp and new Columbia Street loop-ramp will open in phases as they cannot be completed until sections of the connecting roadways and the Pattullo Bridge have been removed.
  • A local closure of Columbia Street between McBride Boulevard and Elliot Street, for approximately one month, will be required to deconstruct the Pattullo Bridge and build the new Columbia loop-ramp (see local closure map).  
• On the Surrey side:
  • On opening day, the new bridge will connect to King George Boulevard in Surrey.
  • The new Highway 17 off-ramp as well as multi-use paths and sidewalks will be completed in mid-2026, as they cannot be completed until the Pattullo Bridge has been partially removed. 

New Name for the Bridge

The project overlaps with the boundaries of two former reserves: Musqueam Indian Reserve No. 1 and Kwantlen Indian Reserve No. 8. Both were located in qiqéyt, an important village site for First Nations within the project area. A First Nations cultural recognition program is using artwork, storytelling, language and signage as an opportunity for education, acknowledgment and celebration of the culture, history and continued stewardship of the project area’s lands and waters.

As part of the cultural recognition program, Musqueam Indian Band and Kwantlen First Nation are bestowing the people of British Columbia a name for the new bridge in the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language. More details about the name will be shared in the coming months.

The original was named after Thomas Dufferin Pattullo.

The original bridge opened in 1937 (with tolls) and since that time it has been unable to expand and accommodate the growing needs of the traffic crossing the Fraser each day. Built for vehicles that pale in comparison to on the road today, the lanes, grades, and angles of the bridge have made it a dangerous crossing for motorists at all hours of the day with little accommodation for pedestrians and cyclists.

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