Golden Ears Bridge

Strategy

Our traffic management plans for this project were massive. They consisted of both strategy and engineered drawings to indicate how we would manage traffic. We also designed signal timing drawings for temporary intersections. Our engineer planned these drawings so traffic wouldn’t back up. We provided these drawings to the Township of Langley, and they adjusted their lights accordingly.

Every time the project interrupted traffic, we created a plan. Minor flagging operation didn’t need much, but because we made long-term changes to the function of the road, we had to accommodate the effects on traffic with our drawings. As a result, the plan was a living document that we kept adding to as the project went on. By the time the bridge opened, our plan had enough paper to fill our boardroom from top to bottom.

Coordination

The project involved construction on both sides of the river. Because we couldn’t easily move back and forth, we needed two supervisors to coordinate construction and traffic control. We talked to them constantly to coordinate our operations with those of the construction team. One of our team members also attended their regular meetings to understand the plan for that week, even though it was likely to change.

If a road needed to be closed, our dispatchers worked with the coordinators to make sure the crews had all the materials they needed. This was convenient for GCG, as they didn’t have to worry about their day-to-day traffic operations and could focus on construction instead.

Lane Closures

We provided most of the flagging services needed for the project. This was a challenge because the general’s needs were always changing. One day they might need two flag people, and another they might need 20. It was difficult to have enough part-time people on hand, so we partnered with other traffic control companies and managed their staff.

We did high-profile lane closures on Highway 1 while the construction crews were putting in the tunnel. Our teams also managed road closures and rolling closures at night from Highway 15 to Highway 7.

Rentals

We rented products like message boards, arrow boards, and trailers for the full length of the project. Normally we would sell items for a project this long, but GCG was from Germany and didn’t want to bring everything home with them afterwards. We brought items to the Langley and Maple Ridge sides of the project. Because there was no bridge yet, we regularly used the Albion Ferry to cross the Fraser with our inventory in tow.

Signs

We also manufactured and installed extruded overhead guide signs, as well as ground mounts and shoulder mounts for 2,500 final footprint signs. We hydrovacced the ground holes, used a crane truck to install a Nabijack base and a round post, and bolted each sign in place. Because some signs were damaged during landscaping or by other crews, we also had some repairs to do at the end.

This project helped us create new systems for the way we track and do installations. Each sign had to be placed in a specific spot, so we took measurements and marked where each sign needed to go. We then had to fill out a sheet for the sign’s location. We’re still using that system today at our Langley branch because the general liked the information they were getting.