Overlanders Bridge

{{Short description|Bridge in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada}}

{{Infobox bridge

|bridge_name = Overlanders Bridge

|carries = Four lanes of Fortune Dr, pedestrians and bicycles

|crosses = Thompson River

|image =

|locale = Kamloops, British Columbia

|design = Arch Bridge

|length = 600 m

|open = 22 November 1961

|coordinates = {{coord|50|40|53.7|N|120|20|59.8|W}}

|traffic = 42,000

}}

The Overlanders Bridge is a bridge that spans the Thompson River in Kamloops, British Columbia. It connects Fortune Drive and Tranquille Road in the north with Victoria Street in the south.{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.6820495,-120.3482275,16z?hl=en|title=Overlanders Bridge|accessdate=20 July 2017}} The bridge opened on November 22, 1961, becoming the third bridge to traverse the Thompson River in this location (1901, 1925).{{cite web|title=Bridges of Kamloops – Part 2-Overlanders Bridge|url=https://exploreourshore.ca/bridges-of-kamloops-part-2-overlanders-bridge/|publisher=North Shore Business Improvement Association|accessdate=2021-11-06}} The bridge carries approximately 42,000 vehicles daily.{{cite web|title=Overlanders Bridge Rehabilitation Project Frequently Asked Questions|url=http://www.kamloops.ca/capitalprojects/pdfs/15-07-Overlanders-FAQs.pdf|publisher=City of Kamloops|accessdate=29 July 2017}} The City of Kamloops rehabilitated the bridge in 2015 following reports indicating significant wear on both the bridge deck and the west sidewalk.

Overlanders was the winning entry, submitted by Joan Lyons, to a naming contest run by the Kamloops Sentinel newspaper.{{cite web|title=Bridges of Kamloops – Part 2-Overlanders Bridge|url=https://exploreourshore.ca/bridges-of-kamloops-part-2-overlanders-bridge/|publisher=North Shore Business Improvement Association|accessdate=2021-11-06}} The name commemorates the pioneers who travelled overland from Fort Garry, Manitoba to Kamloops in 1862. The incorrect name of Overlander is in common use and previously appeared in official documentation before being corrected to Overlanders.{{cite web|title=Q: How and when did Overlander Bridge become known as Overlanders Bridge?|url=https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/archive/kamloops-query/q-how-and-when-did-overlander-bridge-become-known-as-overlanders-bridge-4378990|publisher=Kamloops This Week|accessdate=2021-11-06}}