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◗ PATTULLO
Bridge closures coming Maintenance will close bridge on three summer weekends BY THERESA MCMANUS REPORTER tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com
Royal City residents accustomed to dealing with traffic from the Pattullo Bridge will soon be enjoying the sound of silence – temporarily. The Pattullo Bridge is being closed to traffic on three weekends this summer for routine maintenance. TransLink has planned weekend closures for July 25 to 28, Aug. 15 to 18 and Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. For this weekend’s closure, the bridge will close at 8 p.m. Friday and reopen at 3 a.m. Monday. In future closures, the bridge will close at 9 p.m. on Fridays. As the owner of the Pattullo Bridge, TransLink states it must close the bridge so crews can repair and repave sections of the concrete deck on the 77-year-old span. With no vehicles crossing the bridge, TransLink will also take the opportunity to review the condition of the bridge driving surface and make any necessary improvements. While the bridge will be closed to motorists, TransLink noted that emergency vehicles will still have access to the Pattullo Bridge during the closures. “This maintenance work will help ensure road safety on the bridge,” said a TransLink media release. “Other structural issues, such as narrow lanes, seismic concern or the need for barriers ◗Pattullo Page 8
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Off track: Five train cars filled with grain derailed along Quayside Drive Monday morning. Access to the Quay via Begbie Street was temporarily unavailable, but the cars were eventually moved along the tracks to restore access to the area.
Train derails along Quayside Five grain cars leave the track near McInnes overpass
BY THERESA MCMANUS REPORTER tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com
Five train cars filled with grain derailed along Quayside Drive on Monday morning. No one was injured in the derailment, which initially blocked vehicular traffic at the Begbie Street crossing to the Quay. Trains were off track in the area near the McInnes Street overpass. “The crossing has been cleared at Begbie,” said Mike LoVecchio, director of government affairs at Canadian Pacific. “The train
incident is under investigation.” was across Begbie, but that was The New Westminster Fire moved.” Department attended the scene and Although vehicle access to the reported there was no danger to waterfront was restored, railway anyone in the vicinity of the derailcrews were on scene assessing ment. the situation that occurred on CP “It is five grain cars that have tracks. come off the tracks,” said Fire Chief CP spokesperson Salem Tim Armstrong. “There is no immeWoodrow said the incident occurred diate danger to residents. There in CN’s New Westminster yard, but is no evacuation required, or anyit was a CP train. thing like that.” “At approximately 11:40 a.m. Tim Armstrong Armstrong said a rail car carlocal time, a slow-speed yard fire chief rying crude oil was at the tail end derailment occurred in CN’s New Westminster yard. All the cars are upright. of the train, but it wasn’t involved in the There are no injuries, no environmental con- derailment. cerns, no public safety issues,” she said. “The ◗Train derailment Page 4
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