Olympic traffic lanes roll out in Vancouver

New Olympic traffic changes are coming into effect in Vancouver on Thursday with the rollout of special Olympic lanes, parking restrictions and the shutdown of the Dunsmuir and Georgia Street viaducts.

The designated lanes on the right-hand side of some major routes will be in place from Thursday until Mar. 1, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Only VANOC-accredited vehicles, TransLink buses and emergency vehicles will be able to use the lanes. Violators will be subject to a $100 fine, plus an automatic tow for anyone who parks in a lane.

However, other vehicles will be able to enter Olympic lanes to turn, and for access to and from properties.

The Olympic lanes are the curb or right-hand lane on the following routes:

• Burrard Street from the Burrard Bridge to Pender Street.
• Seymour Street from Granville Bridge to Hastings Street.
• Howe Street fromHastings Street to Granville Bridge.
• Pender Street from Cambie Streetto Howe Street.
• Cambie Street from Cambie Bridge to 59th Avenue.
• Broadway, from Arbutus Street to Commercial Drive.
• Georgia Street from Richards Street to the Stanley Park Causeway.
• Hastings Street from Seymour Street to Boundary Road.

Parking restrictions on those routes and many main thoroughfares around the city also came into effect on Thursday.

On Friday, the Georgia and Dunsmuir Street viaducts connecting downtown with East Vancouver will be shut down to public traffic.

Further road closures around the curling venue at Riley Park in East Vancouver come into effect on Feb. 10, and around the Pacific Coliseum on Feb. 13.

One-day road closures will shut down the Cambie Bridge and many streets around BC Place on Feb. 10, 12 and 28.