BURST
The new four-lane stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge, which has replaced the aging Pattullo Bridge, connecting Surrey and New Westminster, officially opened Saturday morning.
TransLink says the bridge, which is also called the Riverview Bridge, opened to traffic at 7 a.m.
The old Pattullo Bridge, which will no longer be in service, was closed for a week, leading to traffic delays as commuters were forced to use alternative crossings.
It was open to pedestrians and emergency vehicles, but now it’s permanently closed as the new bridge is now open.
In December, the bridge was given the stal̕əw̓asəm by the Kwantlen First Nation and the Musqueam Indian Band.
The word stal̕əw̓asəm (pronounced stoll-O-osum) Bridge, meaning “a space where you can view the river” translates into English as Riverview.
The bridge’s name is from the Coast Salish language hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓.
With files from Sobia Moman