William R. Bennett Bridge

The first press release from the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation to include budget information was in 2003. At that time, the project was estimated to cost {{CA$|100{{nbsp}}million|link=yes}} for the bridge and another $20{{nbsp}}million for the two interchange upgrades on the west side of the lake.{{cite news |last1=Province of British Columbia |title=New Bridge Fulfils Premier's Commitment to Kelowna |archive-date=18 July 2011|url=http://www.partnershipsbc.ca/pdf/MoT-OKB-Release-102803.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718022222/http://www.partnershipsbc.ca/pdf/MoT-OKB-Release-102803.pdf |url-status=dead |access-date=11 December 2022 |publisher=Government of British Columbia |date=28 Oct 2003}}

By June 29, 2005, the cost of the bridge had increased from the previous estimate of $100{{nbsp}}million to $144{{nbsp}}million "due to dramatic increases in the cost of construction materials and labour", which included significant increases in the cost of concrete, steel, and fuel. Over the next 30 years, the province of British Columbia expected to pay SNC-Lavalin a total of $179{{nbsp}}million "to design, build, finance, operate, maintain and rehabilitate the bridge".{{cite news |last1=Province of British Columbia |title=SNC-Lavalin Chosen To Deliver William R. Bennett Bridge |archive-date=11 June 2011|url=https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/WilliamRBennettBridge/updates/WRBennett_Bridge_preferred_proponent.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611170746/https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/WilliamRBennettBridge/updates/WRBennett_Bridge_preferred_proponent.pdf |url-status=dead |access-date=11 December 2022 |publisher=Government of British Columbia |date=29 June 2005}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2023}}

• April 2005: Arthon Construction begins bridge end preloads from rock on Westside Road
• May 2005: Arthon completes east side preload
• June 2005: SNC-Lavalin is chosen to design, build, finance and operate the new bridge
• July 2005: Construction begins on a dry dock near Bear Creek Provincial Park, where the bridge pontoons will be built
• Q3 2005: Arthon completes preloads on west side of Okanagan Lake
• Q3 2005: Graving dock ready
• Q3 2006: Roadwork on both approaches begins
• Q4 2006: First four pontoons in place
• Q1 2007: Bridge deck construction begins
• Q4 2007: All pontoons in place
• Q4 2007: Roadwork on both approaches is completed
• Q1 2008: Bridge deck construction is completed
• Q2 2008: Test and commission
• Q2 2008: Bridge officially opens
• Official opening scheduled for May 25, 2008
• Q2 2009: Decommission of the old bridge
• Q2 2009: Shoreline restoration

{{More references|section|date=July 2023}}

• Extending {{convert|1,060|m|0}} long in total, the bridge includes a {{convert|690|m|0|adj=on}} string of long poles holding pontoons supporting an elevated deck{{cite web |last1=Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure |title=Profile of the Elevated Portion of the William R. Bennett Bridge |url=http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/WilliamRBennettBridge/panels/PBC_Board-6.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611170732/http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/WilliamRBennettBridge/panels/PBC_Board-6.pdf |archive-date=2011-06-11 |access-date=11 December 2022 |website=th.gov.bc.ca |publisher=Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure}}
• At the deepest point near the middle of the bridge, the lake is approximately {{convert|60|m|0}} deep
• There are a total of 9 concrete pontoons
• The pontoons are {{convert|25|m}} wide and {{convert|60|to|90|m|0}} long
• The navigation span on the west side of the bridge is {{convert|44|m}} long and provides {{convert|18|m}} of clearance between the bridge and the lake{{ref|clearance}}
• Three lanes are for westbound traffic
• Two lanes are for eastbound traffic
• An additional {{convert|1.3|m|ftin}} wide pedestrian and cyclist pathway exists on the south (eastbound) side of the bridge
• The west side of the bridge has a pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle underpass at Campbell Road and another interchange at Westside Road
• The Kelowna side of the bridge retains the existing pedestrian and cyclist underpass between City Park and Lake Avenue
• The new bridge was designed to handle up to 80,000 vehicles daily; the old Okanagan Lake Bridge was designed to handle 38,000 vehicles daily but, in 2005, handled approximately 50,000 vehicles daily{{cite news |last1=McHugh |first1=Anne-Rachelle |title=Public hates billboards -- report |work=Westside Weekly |date=8 February 2006}}{{cite web |last1=Canadian Consulting Engineer Staff |title=William R. Bennett Bridge |url=https://www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/features/william-r-bennett-bridge/?er=NA |website=canadianconsultingengineer.com |publisher=Canadian Consulting Engineer |access-date=11 December 2022}}
• The bridge is maintained by Protrans WRB Bridge, which is a subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin{{Cite web |last=Protrans WRB |title=Protrans WRB Bridge |url=http://protranswrbbridge.com/ |access-date=11 December 2022 |website=Protrans WRB Bridge}}

File:WRB bridge pontoon construction.jpg|Construction of concrete pontoon #2 in February 2006

File:WRB bridge road towers on pontoon two.jpg|Roadway towers under construction on top of pontoon #2 in June 2006

File:WRB bridge west approach pile drive.jpg|Pile driving where the west side approach was built

File:William R. Bennett Bridge.jpg|Bridge from West Kelowna, with parts of the original bridge in the foreground

File:2010-08 Bennett Bridge Looking East.jpg|Heading eastbound on the completed bridge

• List of bridges in Canada

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/WilliamRBennettBridge/ Ministry of Transportation: William R. Bennett Bridge]
• [http://www.partnershipsbc.ca/files/project-okanagan.html Partnerships BC project page for William R. Bennett Bridge]
• [http://www.snclavalin.com/ SNC-Lavalin Inc.]
• [http://www.westmar.com/ Westmar Consultants Inc.] (created the initial base design for the bridge)

{{Central Okanagan}}

Category:Bridges completed in 2008

Category:Buildings and structures in Kelowna

Category:Pontoon bridges in Canada

Category:Road bridges in British Columbia

Category:Transport in Kelowna

Category:Okanagan Lake