B.C. Ministry of Transportation Awards $85M Contract to Replace Fraser River Railway Bridge Span

VICTORIA, BC — The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure announced the award of an $85.4 million heavy civil construction contract on Tuesday to replace the mechanical swing span and reinforced pier foundations of the Fraser River Railway Bridge in New Westminster.

Freight Rail Corridor Modernization and Supply Chain Stakes

The 122-year-old steel truss bridge serves as the indispensable western rail gateway for CPKC, CN Rail, BNSF, and Southern Railway of British Columbia, carrying more than $40 billion in annual export commodities—including grain, potash, lumber, and containerized consumer freight—to the Port of Vancouver.

The modernization contract installs a modern high-speed hydraulic vertical lift span, modernizes electronic maritime navigational signaling, and reinforces deep underwater piers against seismic liquefaction and marine vessel collision.

Marine Navigation and Port Fluidity

Minister of Transportation and Transit Mike Farnworth emphasized that replacing the aging swing mechanism eliminates chronic mechanical breakdowns that previously halted marine shipping traffic along the Fraser River working channel and created rail freight bottlenecks across Western Canada.

The project is funded through a tripartite cost-sharing accord between the Government of Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund, the Province of British Columbia, and major freight rail carriers.

Marine Construction Schedule

Marine pile-driving operations will commence during the designated fisheries least-risk construction window in November 2026, with the new lift span commissioned by late 2028.