LAST DOOR BUILDS CRED, BUILDS LIVES
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UP CLOSE WITH BC’S FIRST GREEN MLA
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FREE TRANSIT PASSES ‘TERRIBLE’ OPTICS
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WEDNESDAY
JULY 24 2013 www.newwestnewsleader.com
Cannons fire twice during baseball doubleheader Saturday at Queen’s Park. See Page A19
IGA shuts at the square Grant Granger
ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com
MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
Construction crews jackhammer up the road surface in the slow lane at the south end of the Pattullo Bridge on Saturday. The bridge was closed to all traffic over the weekend, and will be for two more weekends in August, so crews can safely make repairs that are part of the aging structure’s ongoing maintenance.
Fix to help Pattullo survive a little longer Trucks in particular take a toll on the bridge deck Mario Bartel
photo@newwestnewsleader.com
A little inconvenience for weekend drivers will mean a little more life for the aging Pattullo Bridge. The bridge was closed to all traffic, including cyclists and pedestrians from Friday at 9 p.m. to early Monday morning, so work crews could make repairs to the road surface. Similar closures will
occur Aug. 9-12 and Aug. 23-26. The repair work consists mostly Bob Moore, the bridge operations of replacing sections of the deck manager for TransLink, said the where the asphalt road surface has repairs are the kind of routine separated from the concrete maintenance that might beneath it. The resulting cause lane closures on other potholes and cracks not only bridges, but the narrowness make for an uncomfortable of the 76-year-old Pattullo drive, they can also lead to necessitate closure. structural problems that “We can’t do any of the could compromise the ZABEL repairs with traffic on the bridge if they’re not fixed, bridge,” said Moore during a tour said Moore. of the site on Saturday. “It’s not With barriers and flaggers safe.” diverting traffic away from the
Please see PATTULLO, A4
Ward Ward
FOOD TRUCK FEST
FOOD TRUCK FEST
bridge, the four crews working 10-hour shifts around the clock identified problem areas by dragging a heavy chain along the roadway, listening for the higher-pitched sound that indicates delamination of the surface. Those areas were then jack-hammered, repaired with new concrete and resurfaced. The northbound slow lane on the viaduct leading to the bridge on the Surrey side was particularly bad, said Moore.
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The New Westminster IGA Marketplace at Columbia Square closed its doors for the last time and covered up its windows with paper last week. But the “For Lease” sign should be coming down soon, according to property manager Roy Hamilton, although he can’t confirm what retailer will replace the supermarket. “We’ve got a lot of interest, but we are working with a group of people who we are trying to lock down,” said Hamilton. “We’re confident the IGA space won’t be vacant for very long.” In January, H.Y. Louie Company, the store’s operators, gave its six months’ notice to the owners. At that time, H.Y. Louie vice-president Scott Coburn said the location had become no longer financially viable. He said the costs of labour, operating and rental exceeded the revenue being generated over the previous year. That time frame happened to coincide with the opening nearby of a Safeway at the Shops at New Westminster Station.
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Please see FITNESS, A4