Craigflower Bridge - 2014 - Saanich, British Columbia, Canada - Bridge Date Stones and Plaques on Waymarking.com

This bridge is a replacement for the original Craigflower Bridge, which was built in 1933. The original bridge was a timber trestle with 20 spans and was 116 metres long and 8.5 metres wide. The deck and sidewalks were reinforced concrete, supported by timber stringers on a timber piled sub-structure. The bridge deck consisted of two 3.35 metre travel lanes, narrow 0.9 metre sidewalks on each side, and no provision for bicycles. It was designed when trucks were much lighter than present day. In the 1930s, trucks averaged around 18 tonnes, while today they can easily be twice that heavy. As a result, the bridge had some damage consistent with overloading and some piles and pile caps had begun to rot.

In 2009, the District of Saanich and the Town of View Royal funded a detailed assessment of the condition of the bridge. The inspection showed a substructure failure consistent with an overloaded condition. The consultants were asked to determine the bridge's load capacity in accordance with the Canadian Bridge Code. This analysis led to the conclusion that load restrictions were necessary, and as a result planning for repairs was halted and the option of replacing the bridge was reconsidered.

Construction work to replace the bridge began in February 2013. On April 10, 2013, the original Craigflower Bridge closed to traffic. Since this is one of the few crossings of the Gorge Waterway, the bridge closure had significant effects on traffic flow in the region. Throughout 2013 and early 2014, the old bridge was deconstructed and a new bridge built in its place. After several delays, the new Craigflower Bridge opened at 2 pm on May 2, 2014.

The new Craigflower Bridge has many improvements over the old one: three lanes as opposed to the previous two; two-metre wide sidewalks on both sides of the bridge provide plenty of space for both pedestrians and cyclists; and the bridge is designed to remain operational following a major earthquake. The new bridge is built on four steel arch spans which are lit up by coloured lights at night.

Many bridges in BC have the year of construction embedded in the concrete of an abutment, but it's in a much more accessible location on this bridge. It's embedded in the sidewalk side of the concrete wall that separates the sidewalk from the roadway, about halfway across the span.

Date built or dedicated as indicated on the date stone or plaque.: 2014 Date stone, plaque location.: Side of concrete barrier between roadway and pedestrian walkway Road, body of water, land feature, etc. that the bridge spans.: Gorge Waterway Parking (safe parking location): N 48° 27.114 W 123° 25.452 Website (if available): Not listed

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Date Logged Log   02/19/2023 cala3 visited it