The 1930s Pattullo-Bridge just wasn't designed for what should be a major Pacific seaport region.
Unlike Sydney, Australia & SF, California in the 1930s, NW always had a provincial backwater mentality. NW should have acquired the Coquitlams in order to attempt to be a big city, but that would go against its BC backwater agenda. Surrey in the 1930s was never envisioned to be that much of anything. No one ever thought that almost a century ago, that Surrey could eventually become the most populated city in backward BC.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/pattullo-bridge-closure-1.7442030
Unfortunatly, with so much of the infrastructure in BC, it wasn't designed for future expansion or capacity upgrades.
https://vancouversun.com/news/fatal-five-vehicle-crash-pattullo-bridge
https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca The new bridge only has a few basic improvements, but still will initially only provide 2 lanes each way. It should have opened with 3 lanes each way & with a provision for an equally wide lower deck. Such a lower deck could have allowed for a bus & HOV lane each way, plus a truck lane each way. Also, enough clearance for 2 LRT tracks.
https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca/about/projectoverview When the old bridge opened, it only had 1 narrow sidewalk & only enough space for 2 narrow lanes each way. There was no concept to have a couple of bus & a couple of truck lanes. There was a lost opportunity to have a lower deck for 2 streetcar tracks & 2 interurban or tram-train tracks. BC just doesn't have that much of a visionary perspective of things.
