The Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in 1932 with 6 lanes & 2 tracks for trams & another 2 tracks for the heavier passenger trains. Eventually the trams were removed so that the bridge could have 8 lanes, but the 2 train tracks remain. It would be several decades before a bridge of similar width would be built in Canada. In BC, it was difficult enough just to get a 4 lane bridge built & the single track NW_Bridge. www.nwheritage.org/phototour/riverlife/bridges_fraser.htm, www.flickr.com, www.tenthtothefraser.ca/2010/09/19/remembering-new-westminsters-pay-a-toll-o-bridge
The Pattullo_Bridge could have really been something spectacular between New_Westminster & Surrey. However, back in the 1930s there just wasn't that much population growth compared to more established urban areas of the world. Thus, there was no need to meet the equivalent engineering standards of New_South_Wales or California. Switzerland can fit into the land area of BC some 23 times. While Switzerland has about 8 million people, BC is struggling to reach 4.5 million & its 23 times larger. New_Zealand has about the same population of BC, but is about 3 quarters its size. Although Canada & Australia are among the largest countries_by_total_area, they are among the smallest in population because of their size. Canada hasn't been allowed to equal the population of California & Australia hasn't been allowed to rival the population of Texas. After all these years on a planet that has over 7 billion people, Canada & Australia combined, haven't been permitted to even equal the population of the United_Kingdom. Perhaps the Commonwealth_realm requires that its two largest land areas never rival the population of the UK, indefinitely.
http://io9.com/5930595/the-future-is-unevenly-distributed?tag=futurism
Although Canada has over 10 million more people than Australia, the urban infrastructure seems to lag behind that of Australia.
The new bridge might have 6 lanes, some 9 decades after the Sydney Harbor Bridge started out with its first 6 lanes in 1932. The heavy rail bridge might still remain as a single track crossing. www.surreyhistory.ca/rrera.html, www.southfraser.net/2008/06/rail-bridge_24.html
The Forth_Bridge is a fine example of a large scale double track bridge. The Quebec_Bridge was originally a double track railway crossing.
www.civicsurrey.com/2011/09/29/redeveloping-the-area-around-scott-road-skytrain-station/an-example-for-surrey
www.civicsurrey.com/2011/06/30/surreys-city-centre-needs-to-be-more-focused/initial-concepts-for-civic-centre
buzzer.translink.ca, http://actsofminortreason.blogspot.ca/2010/09/tunnel-visions-vancouvers-skytrain.html
www.civicsurrey.com/2012/08/08/proposed-road-expansion-project-pattullo
A basic comparison of New_Westminster & Surrey,_British_Columbia with Vancouver,_Washington & Portland,_Oregon. Both are port cities on either side of a wide river, but NW still only has a 4 lane bridge to Surrey. Where as V,Wa has a 6 lane Interstate_Bridge & the 8 lane G.L.J._Memorial Bridge to Portland.
www.civicsurrey.com/2012/08/08/the-case-for-building-a-replacement-four-lane-pattullo-bridge
British_Columbia: http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?stateID=1,
Oregon: http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?stateID=26
www.civicsurrey.com/2012/08/08/proposed-road-expansion-project-pattullo
A basic comparison of New_Westminster & Surrey,_British_Columbia with Vancouver,_Washington & Portland,_Oregon. Both are port cities on either side of a wide river, but NW still only has a 4 lane bridge to Surrey. Where as V,Wa has a 6 lane Interstate_Bridge & the 8 lane G.L.J._Memorial Bridge to Portland.
www.civicsurrey.com/2012/08/08/the-case-for-building-a-replacement-four-lane-pattullo-bridge
British_Columbia: http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?stateID=1,
Oregon: http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?stateID=26
