The Arthur Laing Bridge is a 1,676-meter-long Cantilever span over the North Arm of the Fraser River which opened in 1975. This structure connects the Marpole neighborhood in Vancouver directly to the main terminal at Vancouver International Airport. Functionally the Arthur Laing Bridge was a replacement for the North Arm of the Marpole Bridge which had closed in 1957.
Part 1; the history of the Arthur Laing Bridge
The Arthur Laing Bridge spans the North Arm Fraser River between Sea Island (previously part of South Eburne) in the city of Richmond and Marpole neighborhood of Vancouver. The current structure was proceeded by a portion of the Marpole Bridge.
Construction of the Marpole Bridge began in 1888 and was built by the San Francisco Bridge company. The Marpole Bridge was designed as two timber truss spans which was connected via steel swing spans. One part of the bridge crossed the Middle Arm Fraser River from Lulu Island (via Duck Island) whereas the other segment branched north over the North Arm to Marpole. The completed bridge would open to traffic during December 1889 and was initially under the maintenance jurisdiction of the Municipality of Richmond.
The Marpole Bridge was plagued with issues shortly after it opened. The South Eburne-Lulu Island span would be heavily damaged by ice sheets in 1890 which put it out of commission for much of the year. The first documented collision with a ship came in 1891.
In 1901 the Province of British Columbia took over maintenance of the Marpole Bridge. The province would replace the existing planked structures with Howe Truss spans by 1902. Despite improvements the Marpole Bridge would require extensive maintenance and upgrades due to the initial design quickly becoming outdated for the automotive era.
The truss spans of the of the Marpole Bridge were replaced again during 1924-1925. The Northern Fraser Arm span was officially classified as Eburne #4 and Middle Arm span as Eburne #5. Both structures were surfaced with asphalt in 1934-1935. The city of Vancouver had purchased plots of land on Sea Island in 1929 to construct an airport which brought additional automotive traffic.
The Marpole Bridge can be seen in detail on the 1951 Shell Street map of Vancouver. The North Arm of the bridge is shown connecting Airport Road to Marine Drive in the neighborhood of Marpole. The Middle Arm is shown connecting Airport Road to River Road on Lulu Island.
In 1951-1952 the North Arm truss of the Marpole Bridge was replaced. This was followed by replacement of the Middle Arm truss in 1953.
During 1955-1956 the North Arm of the Marpole Bridge was heavily damaged due to numerous barge strikes. These strikes led to numerous closures and in one case required replacement of an entire support pier.
During July 1957 the Moray Bridge would open as a replacement of for the Middle Arm of the Marpole Bridge. Following the opening of the Moray Bridge the North Arm of the Marpole Bridge would be closed and later dismantled between 1958-1961. This removal created an issue for traffic departing Vancouver for Vancouver International Airport as it now required a detour via Lulu Island. The Middle Arm of the Marpole Bridge wouldn't be dismantled until 1965-1966.
A replacement span for the North Arm of the Marpole Bridge was announced in 1963 by Arthur Laing, Minister of Northern Affairs & Natural Resources. This span was proposed as a toll structure to be completed within three years. Plans for the toll bridge fell through and by 1965 Laing was instead advocating for a tunnel under the North Arm Fraser River.
In 1971 Don Jamison, Minister of Transport announced a toll-free replacement of for the North Arm Marpole Bridge would be constructed. The announcement came with a stipulation that a ramp connecting the proposed structure to the Moray Bridge was not part of the project. This omission was unpopular, but the structure would break ground as announced. The then new span was named after Arthur Laing on September 6, 1974, and would open to traffic on August 27, 1975.
The opening of the Arthur Laing Bridge was announced in the August 22, 1975, Daily Colonist. The structure is owned and maintained by Vancouver International Airport.
Part 2; visiting the Arthur Laing Bridge
Northbound Russ Baker Way on Sea Island approaches the Arthur Laing Bridge. The right ramp directs traffic to the main terminal of Vancouver International Airport whereas the left ramp accesses Vancouver via the Arthur Laing Bridge. Traffic wishing to access the Moray Bridge is required to turn left on the traffic light onto Miller Road.
The Arthur Laing Bridge crosses over the North Arm Fraser River and approaches Marine Drive and Granville Street (British Columbia Highway 99) in the Marpole neighborhood in Vancouver. The structure is 1,676 meters long and a Cantilever design.
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