Metro Vancouver retained Associated Engineering for design through to construction services to re-establish the trail network across the Seymour River, connecting the Twin Bridge Trail on the river’s west side with the Fisherman’s Trail on the east.
The 73 metre suspension bridge consists of a 2.5 metre wide timber deck on steel beams, hanging on steel cables. The Seymour Canyon Suspension Bridge will serve as a replacement for the Twin Bridge, which was removed after a rock slide in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. The structure will be used by pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians using the trail system.
The design of the replacement bridge addressed:
- Challenging terrain and site access, including steep banks and uphill slopes, exposed rock, poor soil conditions and composition, and dense vegetation
- Challenging geotechnical conditions, such as rock buried under a thick layer of soft soil
- Protection of existing infrastructure and utilities at Riverside Drive
- Limited construction access and areas for equipment and material laydown
- Need for additional road and trail construction, and the associated impact to the surrounding mature forest
- Protection of the Seymour River from sedimentation and deleterious substances during construction
- High water and flood events