Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing

The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, also called the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and Second Narrows Bridge, is the second bridge constructed at the Second (east) Narrows of Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Originally named the Second Narrows Bridge, it connects Vancouver to the North Shore of Burrard Inlet, which includes the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. It was constructed adjacent to the older Second Narrows Bridge, which is now exclusively a rail bridge. Its construction, from 1956 to 1960, was marred by a multi-death collapse on June 17, 1958. The First Narrows Bridge, better known as Lions Gate Bridge, crosses Burrard Inlet about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) west of the Second Narrows.

Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Bridge
Coordinates49.295296°N 123.026276°W / 49.295296; -123.026276
CarriesSix lanes of British Columbia Highway 1, pedestrians and bicycles
CrossesBurrard Inlet
LocaleVancouver
District of North Vancouver
Official nameIronworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing
Maintained byBritish Columbia Ministry of Transportation
Characteristics
DesignTruss/cantilever bridge
MaterialSteel
Total length1,292 metres (4,239 ft)[1]
Longest span335 metres (1,099 ft)[1]
History
DesignerSwan, Wooster and Partners
Construction start1957
OpenedAugust 25, 1960
Statistics
Daily traffic117,854 (2016)[2]

The bridge is a steel truss cantilever bridge, designed by Swan Wooster Engineering Co. Ltd. Construction began in November 1957, and the bridge was officially opened on August 25, 1960. It cost approximately $15 million to build. Tolls were charged until 1963.

The bridge is 1,292 metres (4,239 ft) long with a centre span of 335 metres (1,099 ft). It is part of the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1).

Collapse
Collapsed spans, August 1958

On June 17, 1958, as a crane stretched from the north side of the new bridge to join the two chords of the unfinished arch, several spans collapsed. Seventy-nine workers plunged 30 metres (98 ft) into the water. Eighteen were killed either instantly or shortly thereafter, possibly drowned by their heavy tool belts. A diver searching for bodies drowned later, bringing the total fatalities for the collapse to nineteen. In a subsequent Royal Commission inquiry, the bridge collapse was attributed to miscalculation by bridge engineers. A temporary arm, holding the fifth anchor span, was deemed too light to bear the weight.[3]

Renaming

The bridge was renamed the "Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing" in 1994 to honour the eighteen workers who died in the collapse, along with one rescue diver and four other workers who also died during the construction process.[4]

Stompin' Tom Connors paid a musical tribute to the fallen ironworkers with the song "The Bridge Came Tumbling Down" on his 1972 album My Stompin' Grounds. (This tune also appears on several later compilations one of which was performed by Les Claypool's Duo de Twang). Jimmy Dean's 1962 song "Steel Men" is a ballad about the Second Narrows bridge disaster. Gary Geddes' 2007 book of poetry, entitled Falsework, is based on the collapse of the bridge.

Bibliography
  • Jamieson, Eric, Tragedy at Second Narrows: The Story of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, Harbour Publishing, 2008.

Notes

See also
Location of Ironworkers Memorial in Metro Vancouver

References
  1. Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing at Structurae
  2. Sinoski, Kelly (2016-09-05). "Choker's wild: Traffic to snarl as Metro Vancouver heads back to work, school". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
  3. Lowe, Keith (2000-06-26). "Bridge disaster recalled". North Shore News. Archived from the original on 2005-12-15. Retrieved 2006-02-04.
  4. "50th anniversary of Second Narrows Bridge collapse". WorkSafe BC. 2008-06-17. Archived from the original on 2010-01-01. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
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