Four years after construction began, the replacement for the Pattullo Bridge, connecting Surrey and New Westminster, is one step closer to opening to drivers.
At a media event Monday, the new bridge received the name stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge from the Kwantlen First Nation and Musqueam Indian Band.
The name can be translated as “a space where you can view the river,” giving it the English-language name Riverview Bridge.
A representative for the nations helped explain how to pronounce the Halkomelem name:
“The name can be broken down into four syllables. The first is ‘stal̕’ — ‘stall’ — as in, ‘That’s a beautiful bridge. I hope my car doesn’t stall.’ The second syllable is ‘əw̓’ — oh — as in, ‘Oh, that’s not too hard to pronounce.’ The third syllable is ‘a’ — ‘aw’… And the last one is ‘səm’ as in ‘sum’– like, ‘The sum total.’”
B.C. Minister of Transportation and Transit Mike Farnworth confirmed that the province intends to begin opening the bridge in phases on Christmas Eve.
“The first phase will be a northbound lane that will link to Columbia Street. The target for that is Dec. 24 — just in time for Santa to make his arrival here,” Farnworth joked.
He says he expects all lanes to open to traffic by February 2026, though the timeline also includes a week of closures affecting both bridges in late January.
An artist’s rendering of the new bridge deck. (Courtesy B.C. Government)
Moving drivers over to the new bridge has its challenges, the province says.
The phases will allow for the completion of construction on either side.
Once all four lanes open, the new crossing will once again connect to King George Boulevard in Surrey and McBride Boulevard in New Westminster. The off-ramp to Columbia Street will also be open.
Commuters can expect further headaches as some parts of the new bridge can’t be totall finished until the old crossing is dismantled — a process expected to take two years.
“The new Royal Avenue on-ramp, Columbia Street loop-ramp and Highway 17 off-ramp will open in phases, as they cannot be completed until sections of the connecting roadways and the Pattullo Bridge have been removed,” says the province’s website.
An artist’s rendering of the direct Highway 17 off-ramp and Highway 17-Old Yale Road overpass. (Courtesy B.C. Government)
“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.”
The new crossing will have wider lanes, separated by a barrier, as well as walking and cycling paths in both directions.
The current, estimated complete cost for the project is $1.637 billion.
