Southbound Pattullo Bridge lanes to close Thursday night

If you use the Pattullo Bridge to travel from New Westminster to Surrey, you’ll have to find a different route Thursday night.

TransLink says the southbound lanes of the bridge will be closed overnight from 9 p.m. Thursday until 5 a.m. Friday, due to construction work on the nearly complete stal̕əw̓asəm or Riverview Bridge.

The closure will affect all traffic — including cyclists and pedestrians.

Crews need to erect a big overhead sign along King George Boulevard where the new bridge connects in Surrey.

Northbound lanes over the Pattullo Bridge won’t be affected. Southbound commuters are encouraged to take the Port Mann or Alex Fraser bridges instead.

After years of construction, the stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge opened a single northbound lane in late December, as part of the first phase of its completion.

Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth said he hopes all four lanes of the new bridge will be open by February, but not before a week-long closure of both bridges in mid-to-late January.