Pattullo Bridge to reopen in 2 weeks

The Pattullo Bridge, damaged by fire Sunday morning,could be reopened in two weeks, the B.C. south coast transportation authority said Wednesday.

TransLinksaid crews will begin replacement work Thursday on the bridge's burned wooden trestle, which caught fire Sunday.

The damaged trestlehas already been removed, TransLink said,and crews will use a steel and concrete structure tospan the 18-metre gap.

They will work round-the-clock until the replacement piece is inserted, which could takeup to two weeks, said Sheri Plewes, TransLink's vice-president of capital management and planning.

The Pattullo, which connects Surrey and New Westminster over the Fraser River, was closed on Sundaywhen thefire damaged a section of wooden trestle supporting the southern end of the 72-year-old bridge.

The news will be a relief for hundreds of thousands of Metro Vancouver commuters battling traffic gridlock since the bridge was shut down.

The closing of the bridge has jammed traffic on alternate routes across the Fraser River, including the George Massey Tunnel, the Alex Fraser Bridge and the Port Mann Bridge.

Police were continuing to investigate thefire on Wednesday. The RCMPhas said they suspect theblaze was ignited by a campfire lit by a group of homeless people living under the bridge.