Georgia Viaduct

The Georgia Viaduct is a twinned bridge that acts as a flyover-like overpass in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It passes between Rogers Arena and BC Place Stadium and connects Downtown Vancouver with Main Street and Strathcona.

Georgia Viaduct
Georgia Viaduct's eastbound entry point from Beatty St.
Coordinates49.277227°N 123.106409°W / 49.277227; -123.106409
Carries3 lanes of Georgia Street, 2 lanes of Dunsmuir Street, pedestrians and bicycles
LocaleVancouver
Maintained byCity of Vancouver
Preceded byGeorgia Street Viaduct
History
OpenedJanuary 9, 1972
Location

History

The first Georgia Street Viaduct was built between 1913 and 1915, crossing over the expanding CPR rail yards and a small portion of False Creek. The narrow structure included streetcar tracks that were never used. At one point, every second lamppost was removed to reduce weight.[1] It was replaced between 1971 and 1972 by the current viaduct, in which the two directions of traffic are structurally separated.

The current Georgia Viaduct was envisioned in the early 1970s as replacing the original structure, continuing to overpass the CPR rail yards while forming part of an extensive freeway system for Vancouver. Although communities were opposed to demolition and the expanded freeway plan was scrapped, the replacement viaduct project proceeded. The freeways would have required demolishing buildings in neighbourhoods including Strathcona, the Downtown Eastside and Chinatown. A predominantly Black Canadian community called Hogan's Alley was bulldozed in building the viaduct.

The first phase (Georgia) of the new viaduct opened to traffic on June 28, 1971, and the second phase (Dunsmuir) opened on Jan. 9, 1972, amid protests which attempted to block mayor Tom Campbell's limousine from reaching the western end.[2][3]

Traffic flow
Looking westbound into Vancouver, from the Viaduct's pedestrian sidewalk
Viaduct's westbound exit point from Beatty St.

The viaduct's eastbound traffic is fed from Georgia Street and leads vehicles to Prior Street and Main Street. The viaduct's westbound lanes—often referred to as Dunsmuir Viaduct because they connect to Dunsmuir Street—pass to the north of Rogers Arena. The westbound traffic comes from Prior Street and Main Street, and carries vehicles and pedestrians to Dunsmuir Street, downtown which feeds into Melville Street and eventually Pender Street.

Deadpool filming

On April 5, 2015, the viaduct was closed for two weeks to allow filming of the movie Deadpool, which was released on February 12, 2016.[4][5]

Demolition

On October 27, 2015, Vancouver City Council voted to demolish the twin viaducts.[6] A new six-lane road configuration that merges Expo and Pacific boulevards is in the planning stages.[7]

See also

References
  1. Harris, Robert. "Bridges of Greater Vancouver". DiscoverVancouver.com. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  2. Mackie, John (October 28, 2015). "Look back: 1972 sees Georgia Viaduct open". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  3. "John Mackie: The Georgia Viaduct and the Freeway Fight – 1972". Viewpoint Vancouver. January 13, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  4. Judd, Amy (April 5, 2015). "Ryan Reynolds' movie 'Deadpool' shuts down Georgia Viaduct for filming". Global News. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  5. McNary, Dave (September 18, 2014). "X-Men Spinoff 'Deadpool' to Hit Theaters Feb. 12, 2016". Variety. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  6. "City Council votes to demolish Vancouver Viaducts". Daily Hive. October 27, 2015.
  7. "Vancouver City Council votes in favour of tearing down Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts". Global News.
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