Bureau: DHV Groep

A new bridge in the Trans-Canada Highway

The design of a brand new bridge finally brings the better connection between British Columbia and the rest of Canada that was so highly anticipated.

Until recently, there was only a narrow, winding two-lane road with steep rock faces on one side, and a drop-off to the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Kicking Horse River in the valley on the other. The Trans-Canada Highway, through the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia, had not seen any major improvements since its construction in the 1950s. Every day, some 10,000 motorists were confronted with its shortcomings.

With the construction of a new bridge over the Kicking Horse Canyon the situation has greatly improved. The bridge is part of a 600 million dollar project to improve the Highway; an important connection between British Columbia and the rest of Canada, for both freight transport and tourism.

Delcan, partner of DHV Group, worked together with Golder Associates, Stantec, Bilfinger-Berger BOT, Flatiron Constructors and Parsons Transportation Group on the design and the construction of the new bridge. Delcan’s engineers were responsible for the review of the design and for its approval during each phase of the construction.

The new bridge is an elegant construction based on steal layers, with a span between the canyon walls 404 metres long, at a height of 95 metres. The parts of the bridge were set up with the use of an advanced system of hydraulic jacks and rollers.

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This project is part of 'Dutch engineers: creating all over the world'

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