No decision on fate of dangerous Metro Vancouver bridge

The future of a bridge connecting two Vancouver suburbs on which 28 people have died over the past two decades is still undecided after its board of directors met Thursday but reached a stalemate over its fate.

After a two-hour meeting, TransLink's board of directors said they could not make a decision on how to improve safety on the Pattullo Bridge. TransLink is the agency that operates major regional roads as well as public transit on the South Coast of B.C.

The board's meeting was to discuss options for the old, narrow and dangerous bridge that crosses the Fraser River, linking Surrey and New Westminser, B.C. Twenty-eight people have died on the bridge in the last 22 years.

TransLink released a statement saying it will not make a decision until July.

It said a technical review shows putting a median in the centre would reduce the bridge to three lanes, which would effectively ban trucks, and counter-flow options would only increase congestion.

The transit body said further study will allow them to make a long-term decision, which could mean twinning the existing structure or building a whole new bridge.

The Pattullo Bridge is 71 years old, and carries more than 79,000 vehicles a day.