The Government of British Columbia announced that with the bridge deck connected and final paving underway, the new crossing that will replace the Pattullo Bridge has received its name from Kwantlen First Nation and Musqueam Indian Band: stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge.

stal̕əw̓asəm can be understood as “a space where you can view the river”. The English name is Riverview. The name recognizes First Nations’ historical and current connections to the area. Former Musqueam Indian Reserve No. 1 and Kwantlen Indian Reserve No. 8 were in qiqéyt, an important village site near the base of the bridge in Surrey.

“stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge is more than just a name. It acknowledges the history of these lands, and represents the preservation of culture and language,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit. “This new bridge is going to transform the region’s transportation network, support people and businesses in the region, and strengthen B.C.’s economy for generations.”

This also marks a major milestone as traffic will begin shifting to the stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge from the Pattullo Bridge in phases over the coming weeks as final works wrap. The new bridge includes four wider lanes with a centre median, and barrier-separated walking and cycling lanes.

Traffic will be switched onto the stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge from the old Pattullo Bridge in phases to allow for completion of the tie-ins to the roadways on either side. On opening day, a single lane of northbound traffic will exit to eastbound East Columbia via the new off ramp.

The new bridge optimizes the use of the existing road network and it has also been designed to meet modern seismic, structural and roadway design standards.

The new bridge is expected to be fully open by February after being phased in beginning Dec. 24.

Fraser Crossing Partners, a joint venture between Aecon and Acciona, was selected by the Province of British Columbia to design, build and partially finance the project.