https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_mNfn4zjcI
Even in the 1930s there should have been some type of a big city vision, but with NW being so small and Surrey being so out of the way, this part of BC was on the urban periphery. Apparently, there was no concept of an emergency lane on the Pattullo Bridge. Still, in addition to the 2 narrow lanes each way, there should have been 2 lane for horses and wagons. Then, by the 1950s the PB could have had 3 wide lanes each way, pulse a strong traffic divider. Instead, the narrow PB was stuck with only two lanes each way, no safety divider and only 1 narrow sidewalk.
For most of its history, NW just saw it self as a provincial backwater. The lack of a big city vision in the early 1900s meant that it never bothered to absorb what would become the Tri-Cities. For most of its history, Surrey never considered that it could eventually become the largest city in BC. Of course now that has changed.
Despite being so small, NW has become a Metro Vancouver regional transit hub, because of the New_Westminster_station.
Scott_Road_station is a transit hub for the South_Westminster area.
Surrey and NW really should have had a proper big city size bridge.
This is how the new road configuration could have gone for what should have been a 10 lane bridge, not another 4 lane BC joke. Even if it can eventually have 6 lanes, there is no provision for a lower deck for trains and busses.
This shows how existing key roads could have linked into a 10 lane bridge, all without having to widen the surrounding roads. Thus, no need for any major land expropriation.
2 lanes from Royal Avenue onto the new bridge and 2 lanes from the bridge onto Royal Avenue in New+Westminster.
One lane onto and one lane off linking the bridge to the South_Fraser_Perimeter_Road in Surrey.
2 lanes onto McBride boulevard and 2 lanes onto the bridge from McBride in New+Westminster.
From Columbia_Street_in New_Westminster, 1 lane onto the bridge, as well as 1 lane off the bridge.
2 lanes from King_George_Boulevard onto the new bridge and 2 lanes from the bridge onto KGB in Surrey.
2 lanes from Scott Road onto the new bridge and 2 lanes from the bridge onto Scott_Rd in Surrey.
Things weren't properly explained to the public as to how important a wide big city bridge could have been possible and without having to widen the roads connecting to it.
Unfortunately, all of this is being funneled into just 2 lanes each way. Its as if someone symbolically wanted the new bridge to open without any bus and HOV lanes. That's how BC bottleneck and chokepoint planning works.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Vancouver_Regional_District
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Valley
Some day, the BC Lower_Mainland should be planned and developed to function more like a proper big urban area.
