Video shows 400-tonne overpass being installed on B.C. highway

A new landmark has settled over Highway 1 near Burnaby Lake.

A fully built steel overpass was hoisted into its new position above Highway 1 in Burnaby Saturday night.

Installing the Burnaby Lake overpass, between the Sprott Road and Gagalardi Way exits, required the complete closure of a 10-kilometre stretch of highway so crews could undertake what the city described as “feat of engineering” requiring “precise co-ordination.”

The work involved removing the highway’s concrete median and using massive, computer-controlled platforms to lift and rotate the overpass into its place—5.7 metres above the road.

A time-lapse video shows how the installation unfolded.

The overpass will be a way for pedestrians and cyclists to cross over the Trans-Canada Highway, providing a link between two sides of the city.

“Burnaby’s north-south connections have historically been challenging, especially for non-drivers. Cyclists and pedestrians need to navigate the Kensington crossing, a chaotic intersection with multiple lanes of merging traffic and ramps,” Sunday’s statement from the City of Burnaby said.

“The new pedestrian-cyclist overpass, which opens early next year, offers a safe, picturesque alternative.”

The overpass project has been in the works since 2019, with the final location selected by council in 2022. It is expected to open to the public next year.