The Landmark Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, BC Canada – VivaBoo
Image By ecstaticist
The bridge is 1823 meters (5890 feet) in total, with a tower height of 111 meters (364 feet). It was designed with three reversible lanes, each of which are monitored by signals. The middle lane in particular changes direction based on the flow of traffic in order to ease congestion. This particular feature was installed after congestion made the bridge a nightmare to travel across.
Although the idea to build a bridge at this location was brought to life as early as 1890, the bridge didn’t receive final approval and support to be built until 1933. Even after that, it took until 1937 for construction to begin. After much work and millions of dollars later, the bridge finally opened in November 1938. Then in May 1939, during a royal visit to Canada, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth presided over the official opening of the bridge.
Prior to the bridge being built, ferries took people across to the North Shore. Needless to say, as the bridge continued to be used more and more, the ferries were eventually forced to close due to lack of passengers and revenue.
Different upgrades made to the bridge over the years included adding pedestrian pathways to the outside of the bridge and increasing width of the road lanes. Then in 1986, the Guinness family donated decorative lights to the city of Vancouver that would adorn the bridge and make it stand out at night as much as it stands out during the day.
In March of 2005, the Lions Gate Bridge became designated as a National Historic Site of Canada. It’s easy to see why when you look at the following pictures.