Premier Gordon Campbell and former premier William (Bill) R. Bennett joined Okanagan residents for the grand opening of the William R. Bennett Bridge across Okanagan Lake. May 25, 2008
On July 19, 1958, crowds gathered to witness the official opening of a new bridge spanning Okanagan Lake, built to serve as a critical transportation link in the Okanagan. When it opened, the Okanagan Lake Bridge was one of only three floating concrete bridges in the world, and the first of its kind in Canada.
Almost 50 years after Princess Margaret and Premier W.A.C. Bennett cut the ribbon and opened that bridge, Premier Gordon Campbell and former premier William (Bill) R. Bennett used the same scissors to cut the ribbon and officially open the new William R. Bennett Bridge.
Premier Campbell and Mr. Bennett were joined in today’s official opening by minister of transportation Kevin Falcon, Kelowna mayor Sharon Shepherd, Westside mayor Rosalind Neis, Westbank First Nation Chief Robert Louie and MLAs Sindi Hawkins, Rick Thorpe and Al Horning.
“This new five-lane bridge, built as an innovative public-private partnership, was completed 108 days ahead of schedule and includes an elevated span for marine traffic as well as a lane for cyclists and pedestrians. It will be a key transportation link between Kelowna and Westbank, and will improve safety, stimulate economic growth and reduce congestion in this busy corridor,” said Campbell.
The $144.5-million bridge opened to westbound traffic at midnight on May 25, 108 days ahead of the original scheduled opening in September 2008. In spring 2005, SNC-Lavalin Inc. was chosen to design, build, finance, and operate the bridge under a 30-year contract. During that period, government will save over $25 million in construction, financing, maintenance and rehabilitation costs than if the bridge was built by traditional methods. The corridor is the busiest in B.C. outside the Lower Mainland, accommodating an average of over 50,000 vehicles per day, and that figure is predicted to grow to close to 70,000 by 2017.
Other key features of the William R. Bennett Bridge include:
- Six floating pontoons, weighing 7,000 tonnes each.
- Three smaller pontoons, weighing 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes each.
- 2,200 tonnes of structural steelwork.
- 25,000 cubic metres of concrete.
- 24 anchors, weighing 75 tonnes, to hold pontoons in place.
- 15,000 cubic metres of Styrofoam fill at the west end of project.
For more information about the William R. Bennett Bridge, visit ReNew Canada’s Top 100: Canada’s Biggest Infrastructure Projects.
