Imagine Alfred James Towle Taylor whispering to sculptor Charles Marega. “Make sure my baby shoes find a home inside one of those lions.” The Lions Gate Bridge stands before us, a testament to vision and perseverance.
This iconic suspension bridge officially known as the First Narrows Bridge connects Vancouver to the North Shore. The Lions Gate Bridge owes its name to the twin mountain peaks, called The Lions. Look towards those peaks as you travel north across the bridge. The Lions Gate Bridge is more than steel and concrete. It embodies Vancouver’s spirit.
Let’s journey back to the late 19th century. Land speculator George Grant Mackay envisioned a bridge here. The First Narrows ferry operated for almost 40 years until a bridge became reality. The initial public vote in 1927 rejected the bridge. Alfred James Towle Taylor, saw the potential. He convinced Walter Guinness of the Guinness family to invest. They acquired vast tracts of land on the North Shore.
Another vote in 1933 passed with 70 percent approval. A condition was set. The project should employ Vancouverites to ease Great Depression hardship. Construction began in 1937. It took one and a half years and CA$5,873,837. The Lions Gate Bridge opened on November 14, 1938. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth officially opened the bridge in 1939.
Initially, tolls were collected. It cost 25 cents for a car or horse and carriage. Pedestrians paid five cents. In 1955, the Guinness family sold the Lions Gate Bridge to British Columbia for the original construction cost. The province removed tolls in 1963.
Did you know UBC engineering students once hung a VW Beetle from the Lions Gate Bridge? It happened not just once, but twice.
The Lions Gate Bridge has undergone significant upgrades. A third reversible lane was added in 1952. In 1975, the original concrete deck of the North Viaduct was replaced with a lighter steel orthotropic deck. The entire suspended structure was replaced from 2000 to 2001. This was done without disrupting peak-hour traffic. In 1986, the Guinness family gifted decorative lights to Vancouver. They transformed the Lions Gate Bridge into a nighttime beacon. These lights were nicknamed Gracie’s Necklace after Grace McCarthy. In 2009, the lighting system was updated with LEDs. This reduced power consumption by 90 percent.
The Lions Gate Bridge forms part of Highways 99 and 1A. It is a vital transportation link. The total length of the Lions Gate Bridge is 1,823 meters. The main span is 473 meters long. The towers soar to 111 meters. Ships pass underneath with 61 meters of clearance.
In 2005, the Lions Gate Bridge was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.
As you gaze at the Lions Gate Bridge, remember its history. Appreciate its engineering. A structure that connects not only land but also people and time.