Fraser River Bridge Pier 6-10 Seismic Retrofit

The New Westminster Bridge (AKA the Fraser River Rail Bridge) is the primary railway crossing of the Fraser River in the Lower Mainland. It’s a single-track, swing rail bridge that connects New Westminster to Surrey, located just downstream from the new Stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge. FRPD was selected to complete the seismic retrofit of this historic bridge, which carries the majority of rail traffic in and out of Vancouver’s ports. All work was completed with active rail traffic running throughout construction.

Problem

The aging river crossing required a full seismic upgrade to meet modern safety standards while keeping rail operations fully active. The scope included large-diameter piling, structural bracing and complete substructure reconstruction—all performed beneath live rail traffic. The scale and complexity of the retrofit required custom-engineered falsework, shoring and pile driving systems—among the largest ever built in Western Canada.

Solution

FRPD delivered the complete marine seismic retrofit for piers 6-10 on the bridge. Teams installed new large-diameter piles as well as structural collars on both sides of each pier, jacked and monitored the existing superstructure, and rebuilt all substructure components while trains continued operating overhead. Crews also had to coordinate daily operations with the adjacent Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project to prevent schedule conflicts across both major infrastructure sites.