TRAFFIC - Part Two - Through the Eyes of a Tourist

In the Vancouver area, we are not tourists.  Both of us have lived here most of our lives.  However, after 2 years of traveling to other huge cities, we tend to try to look at things through the eyes of a tourist.  Over the past while, I have been encouraging our Escapee friends to come to Vancouver.  I'm not sure that is a good idea.

The main freeway in and out of the City of Vancouver is undergoing a massive upgrade.  This upgrade has been going on for three years and is expected to be finished in 2013.

The overhaul spreads over nearly 40 miles.  Overpasses have all been changed.  Exits have been improved and new ones created.

This is completed.  A pedestrian overpass.  It lights up green at night.

The signage is sometimes humorous.

  Doug often comments that he sure hopes someone has the master plan because to the unskilled eye it appears to be like a giant set of legos have been thrown down and several pieces have been started and few finished.

The major work project is the new Port Mann Bridge over the Fraser River.  In Vancouver there are five major bridges.  Two of those, The Fraser Bridge and the Golden Ears Bridge have been completed in the last 25 years.  The Port Mann Bridge had a major upgrade about 3 years ago increasing it from two lanes to three lanes each way.  The new bridge will have five lanes each way.  

The old bridge.

The old bridge with the towers of the new bridge in the background

 The project comes with a huge ticket to the citizens of the area.  The new bridge will be a toll bridge with a toll of $3.00 each way.  When we come back and go to visit my parents or our children, it will cost us $6.00 for the visit.  The current volume on this bridge is 127,000 per day.  That's a lot of money.  And you can bet they will not remove the toll once the bridge is paid for.

So if you are coming to Vancouver in the near future, remember, do not use your GPS, pay attention and definitely have your imperial to metric converter handy.

The mighty Fraser