The Fraser River Bridge at Hope was constructed in 1914 as part of the Kettle Valley Railway system. The main spans consist of four 73 m steel trusses simply supported by three concrete piers founded in the Fraser River. Originally, both rail and highway traffic were accommodated. The bridge is now used solely for highway traffic, but had the following deficiencies:
• The 3.4 m width of the lanes was substandard for vehicular traffic
• The curvature of the approach roadways was tight and, combined with the narrow lanes, could be hazardous
• The piers had suffered degradation
• The bridge fell short of current seismic design standards

Ausenco Sandwell conducted a comprehensive condition inspection and study to determine the most cost effective method of providing a safe crossing of the river. The condition inspection included concrete coring and testing, nondestructive steel testing, side scan sonar on the piers and a hydrographic survey to locate possible scour holes on the river bed. Upgrading of the existing structures along with several new crossing options were considered as part of the study. On the basis of this work, MOTH requested Ausenco Sandwell to perform detailed design for the widening and upgrading of the existing bridge. Three construction contracts were subsequently tendered and all work was completed in 1996 on budget.

View the full factsheet here.