Four-lane Nicomekl River crossing opens to the public

Surrey, BC – A new, safer four-lane Nicomekl River crossing is now complete and open to the public in South Surrey. The City of Surrey worked with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to replace the aging single-lane Bailey Bridge and the two-lane timber trestle bridge with the new four-lane Nicomekl River crossing on King George Boulevard to reduce congestion now and prepare for future growth. The new earthquake and flood resilient crossing includes multiuse paths, funded by TransLink, making it safer to walk or cycle.

“The Province was pleased to partner with the City of Surrey on this improvement to one of Surrey’s main roadways,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “King George Boulevard is an important connection for Surrey residents, and the wider, stronger Nicomekl River Crossing ensures reliability and capacity at this location for years to come.”

The $22.5M project increases the safety, connectivity and traffic flow in this corridor which is a critical link in connecting Surrey’s communities to each other and the region.

“The new Nicomekl River Bridge improves traffic flow and safety along this busy corridor that accommodates more than 26,000 vehicles daily,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “The new wider crossing alleviates the bottleneck seen with the previous three-lane configuration. Built to modern standards, the new crossing is safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike. I thank the Province and TransLink for their support in making this project possible.”

As part of the project, improvements on King George Boulevard corridor included a walking trail for pedestrian connectivity to the Nicomekl Riverfront Park, and a new connector road from King George Boulevard to Nicomekl Road for improved neighbourhood access and circulation.

“TransLink is pleased to provide funding to the Nicomekl bridge replacement project through our Municipal Funding Program,” said Kevin Quinn, CEO of TransLink. “One of our objectives through this program is to keep structures along the Major Road Networks (MRN) well maintained. I am happy to note that this new vital crossing will not only facilitate movement of people and goods in Surrey but will also support development of a future Bus Rapid Transit corridor.”

The new bridge crossing also highlights the history of local First Nations with public art panels on railings created by artists Joan Williams from Semiahmoo and Phyllis Atkins from Kwantlen First Nation. Joan’s design uses the repeating motif of connected hands inspired by the canoe journeys of her youth, where many Nations were connected by the river, and the way canoes were passed hand over hand. The bridge, like the river, connects the Kwantlen and Semiahmoo communities and the hands remind us that relationships are based on human connections. Atkin’s design represents the different wildlife of the river eco-system with a wolf canoe and thunderbird canoe meeting in the middle to represent a meeting place of the two Nations.

To learn more about the completed project, visit surrey.ca/nrbridge.