Marpole Bridge, Railway bridge in Metro Vancouver, Canada
Marpole Bridge is a railway bridge spanning the north arm of the Fraser River, joining Vancouver's Marpole neighborhood with Richmond's Lulu Island. The structure included a movable middle section that allowed both trains and ships to pass through.
The original structure was built in 1902 under Canadian Pacific Railway control to move workers and goods to factories on the south shore. Following a barge collision in 1967 that destroyed the swing span, portions of the bridge were later repurposed as public spaces.
The bridge once served as the main link to salmon canneries on the south shore, where workers rode daily to their shifts. It physically connects two neighborhoods with different histories and characters.
The best access is from the Lulu Island side, where a pedestrian path connects to the remaining structures. Conditions are weather-dependent, so be prepared for muddy ground and flooded sections, especially after heavy rain.
The bridge was electrified in 1905 by the British Columbia Electric Railway and once offered the fastest connection between Vancouver and Steveston. Operating the swing span relied on a sophisticated mechanical system that was remarkably rare for structures outside major industrial centers.
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