Photo: DriveBC/CTV News
Update 15:55
Both the Port Man and Alex Fraser Bridges over the Fraser River were closed on Friday due to winter weather and the danger of falling ice, adding to the dreary days of travel in Metro Vancouver before Christmas and the Sky Massive train disruptions also occurred.
The Department of Transportation said freezing rain had caused ice to build up on the cables on both bridges, so the bridges had to be closed for public safety until the weather improved.
There were no estimates of when Port Man serving Highway 1 or Alex Fraser serving Highway 91 would reopen.
In another blow to commuters, TransLink announced at around 1pm on Friday that it will suspend the Skytrain’s Expo Line route through Surrey, southeast of Vancouver. The Millennium Line, which operates between Burnaby and Coquitlam east of Vancouver, also had problems.
TransLink blamed “multiple track problems caused by ice buildup” and urged passengers to avoid travel.
Limited Expo Line service resumed after a few hours, but ended at Columbia station before the river.
“While we are doing everything possible to resume service as soon as possible, TransLink strongly advises customers to avoid travel at this time,” TransLink said in a news release.
The Millennium Line was experiencing significant delays, with no service between Lowheed and Burkittlam stations.There were also delays on Canadian flights serving Richmond and Vancouver International Airports.
Environment Canada has called for ice packs or freezing rain to occur over much of the south coast, including Greater Victoria and Metro Vancouver, due to the formation of a layer of above-freezing temperatures above the current Arctic air mass. .
These conditions could lead to ice accumulations of up to 5mm around Victoria and the southern Gulf Islands and up to 25mm in the Fraser Valley, before heavy rains wet much of the south coast and increase flooding potential as snow. It states that there is an ice-filled storm drain.
Original 11:25 am
Both the Port Man and Alex Fraser Bridges over the Fraser River are closed due to winter weather and the danger of falling ice, adding to the daily woes of travel on Metro Vancouver.
In both cases, the Department of Transportation said freezing rain caused ice to build up on the bridge cables.
There are no estimates of when either bridge will reopen.
Environment Canada predicts ice packs or freezing rain over much of the south coast, including Greater Victoria and Metro Vancouver, as a layer of sub-freezing temperatures forms above the current Arctic air mass.
These conditions could lead to ice accumulations of up to 5mm around Victoria and the southern Gulf Islands and up to 25mm in the Fraser Valley, before heavy rains wet much of the south coast and increase flooding potential as snow. It states that there is an ice-filled storm drain.
Most of the state is covered in snow, with snowfall or winter storm warnings in place for most of the two-thirds BC, with some areas receiving 5 to 20 cm or more of snow.
The Japan Meteorological Agency maintains an extreme cold warning for parts of northern and southeastern BC, where wind chill values range from -35 C to nearly -50 C.
Freezing rain forced travelers to stay off roads, including mountain passes into the interior, with WestJet and Air Canada canceling dozens of flights and many BC Ferries operations being scrubbed.
In Greater Victoria, buses were canceled at least until early afternoon, when BC Transit announced it was safe to reassess road conditions.
All WestJet flights scheduled to and from Vancouver International Airport and four regional airports have been suspended until Friday afternoon due to the weather.
In an update Friday, Vancouver International Airport said it was working with Air Canada and WestJet to safely resume operations after widespread cancellations.
A total of 39 flights were successfully deiced between midnight and noon on Friday, according to the airport, including US and international flights affected by the two-day restrictions previously put in place to clear runway congestion. included some of the
