Arthur Laing Bridge, Prestressed concrete bridge in Vancouver, Canada
The Arthur Laing Bridge is a prestressed concrete structure that spans the Fraser River, linking Vancouver with Richmond and the airport. The four-lane roadway serves nearly 79,000 vehicles daily and includes dedicated shoulders for cyclists.
The Canadian government opened this crossing in August 1975, naming it for Arthur Laing, a former parliamentarian from Vancouver. The structure was built to support growing air traffic and commerce at the expanding airport.
The bridge stands on traditional territories of three First Nations groups: the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation, and Tsleil-Waututh Nation.
The bridge has no sidewalks, so pedestrians cannot cross; cyclists ride on the shoulders of the roadway, which were widened in 2014 when vehicle lane widths were adjusted. Camera monitoring and a tow truck stationed at the south end during morning rush hour respond to the roughly 127 crashes recorded each year. Signs warn traffic of low-flying aircraft from the north runway.
In May 1981, a Cessna 172 that ran out of fuel crash-landed on the bridge deck, causing no injuries. The four-lane crossing carries Grant McConachie Way traffic toward Vancouver International Airport, and since 1996 signs warn drivers of low-flying aircraft using the airport's north runway.
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