Queensborough to Quayside Bridge
Queensborough to Quayside (Q2Q) Pedestrian Bridge
The City of New Westminster (City) identified the need for a pedestrian and bicycle bridge across the north arm of the Fraser River, connecting the Quayside community on the mainland with the Queensborough community on Lulu Island, parallel to and immediately downstream of the Queensborough Rail Bridge (QRB), owned and operated by Southern Railway of British Columbia (SRY).
The pedestrian bridge is referred to as Q2Q. The existing QRB swing bridge is operated in an open default position to provide unimpeded navigational access and closed when trains transit across the river. SRY have agreed in principle to leave their bridge operator in control of the movements of the pedestrian bridge as well as the rail bridge, provided a cost sharing agreement, operational and safety plans can be worked out with the City, and approved by federal regulators involved in navigation.
TyPlan was retained by the City to undertake a navigational assessment to determine potential effects of Q2Q (bascule) bridge options on navigation, and subsequently define a navigation envelope to support navigation. In addition, recommended design considerations intended to improve navigability and safety are identified.