Bike lane construction to affect traffic on Cambie Bridge

Bike lane construction begins on Cambie bridge Many drivers are worried Vancouver congestion is about to get worse with big changes coming to one of the city's main arteries.

Construction on Vancouver's Cambie Street Bridge begins Saturday, meaning some who rely on the bridge may face delays.

The off-ramp to West 2nd Avenue will be fully closed this weekend, and southbound traffic will be reduced to two lanes. The ramp and third lane will reopen Sunday by 8 p.m., a city engineering spokesperson said.

The city is installing a new southbound protected bike lane along the west side of the bridge and down the ramp using concrete barriers.

"The number of people choosing to walk or cycle over Cambie Bridge has increased in the last decade," the city's general manager of engineering, Jerry Dobrovolny, said in a statement Friday.

Statistics provided from the city showed approximately 71,000 people biked across the bridge last July, compared to 62,000 in the same month in 2014 and 38,000 in 2010. When it came to pedestrians, 3,200 used the bridge in July 2017, up from 2,700 in July 2014 and 1,900 in July 2010.

Creating a bike lane on the west side and separate lanes for biking and walking on the east side of the bridge are meant to make it safer for both cyclists and pedestrians.

"The solution also improves connections into and out of downtown, is relatively inexpensive, and will have minimal impact to motor vehicle flow," Dobrovolny said.

At the ends of the bridge, vehicle lanes will remain unchanged.

The work that begins over the weekend is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

To minimize the impact on vehicle traffic, most road work will take place outside of peak afternoon travel times and at night, the city said. Pedestrian and cyclist access to the bridge will be "maintained as much as possible."