Spanning over the Trans-Canada Highway, the Burnaby Lake Overpass serves as a Gateway to the City of Burnaby, providing a safe and convenient passage over the busy highway for pedestrians and cyclists, enhancing connectivity and promoting outdoor activities in the community.
This iconic bridge design combines architectural elegance with structural integrity to create a visually striking and functional landmark. The design features double intersecting parabolic steel arches spanning 62m, supporting a network of inter-weaving steel cables in response to the arch geometry. The cables, in turn, support a thin orthotropic steel deck.
Unique features to this bridge design include a mass timber infill roof at the centre portion of the span where the arches cross over, providing a strong material counterpoint to the robustness of the steel arch. The diamond shaped arch profile provides a “crisp” edge to the arch profile as the cables emerge from a single point in the cross section.
In addition to the mandate for a signature pedestrian bridge, the city desired a bridge that featured both sustainable and low maintenance attributes over its lifespan. For this reason, weathered steel, also known as Corten steel, was chosen for the arch and bridge deck as this material has an inherent ability to protect itself from corrosion over the long term without the need for additional coating protection or maintenance.
Ultimately, the Burnaby Lake Overpass stands as a testament to the City’s commitment to active pedestrian transportation, creating a memorable structure that represents the spirit of the community.
Explore with our interactive model: