It took more than a week to fix a large pothole in the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge last month. But in 1944, the Royal Canadian Engineers threw up a Bailey Bridge in just 10 hours.
The bridge was designed by Donald Coleman Bailey, a civil engineer from Southbourne, England. When the Germans blew up bridges in Europe, the good guys could quickly replace them with Bailey’s invention. Made of steel and wood sections, it fitted together like a giant Meccano set and was strong enough to carry tanks (note the car pictured above).
- Beneath Dark Waters: The Legacy of the Empress of Ireland Shipwreck by Eve Lazarus, coming April 2025. Preorder through Arsenal Pulp Press, or your favourite indie bookstore
November 2, 1944
Vancouverites got to see the Bailey Bridge on Army Day, November 2, 1944. It was part of an effort to raise money for the Victory Loan campaign. Sixty Royal Canadian Engineers kicked off construction at midnight, finishing just 10 hours later. In plenty of time for the 11:00 am opening by Gail Patrick, a 32-year-old American actress and law student. Patrick played opposite stars such as Cary Grant, Carole Lombard and Ginger Rogers, and by the late 1950s, she was president of Paisano Productions and executive producer of the Perry Mason television series – starring New Westminster’s Raymond Burr.
Over 75,000 crossed:
The Bailey Bridge had a clearance height of 10 feet 6 inches and crossed Georgia Street at Howe. More than 75,000 people crossed the 240-foot-long bridge on November 2 and it was so popular that it was saved for one more day. It was demolished on Friday evening, November 3.
Unfortunately, the Bailey Bridge over the Nicomekl River in South Surrey, is currently under demolition. But if you have a hankering to cross one near Vancouver, check out the Pilchuk Creek Bridge, on the Squamish Valley Road, south of Paradise valley. According to the Canadian Military Engineers website there are 15 functioning Bailey Bridge’s in British Columbia.
Related:
- More stories like this one in Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History
20 comments on “Vancouver’s Bailey Bridge”
With respect to the Bailey bridge over the Nicomekl River in South Surrey, why do you say “unfortunately”? If you had to cross that old bridge daily, you would be anxiously waiting for the replacement bridge.
I’ve never seen the bridge, I meant that it was unfortunate timing for my blog post. I read that demolition was starting in January – did it?
Not yet. Need to commission the replacement bridge first. It will not be long.
Actually, the Bailey bridge was removed first, leaving 2 lanes of traffic on the original 1936 King George Highway (Boulevard) bridge. Now the old bridge is coming down and the new bridge will be 4 lanes, and higher above the Nicomekl.
Actually the replacement is nearing completion, only 2 lanes – once operational I believe the other lower part everyone is using now will be removed and replaced with newer similar structure. There’s a damn not far from it which also being redone, most likely cause of rising water levels. So no boats.
The Bailey Bridge in South Surrey could have remained in place.
Remove the old boards install steel cross members and then blacktop of concrete, the replacement is terrible you drive up a hill then down to KGB, and the cost $$$$$.
Why is it so high:, is that so LARGE BOATS can pass under – not a chance DUMB DESIGN
Fred, they allowed for the forecast rise in sea levels. That section of KGB at Crescent Rd is a very low elevation. If you notice, the sidewalk adjacent to the paved surface of KGB up to the Serpentine has been raised and now acts as a dyke.
How do boats get around the damn?
I enjoyed this story very much. Thanks for sharing it! My dad, Jack Williams, remembers that bridge. I didn’t realize it was only up for 2 days, and that it was a fund raiser for the war effort! I believe my Dad crossed it, as he lived in the Strathcona area at the time. He was 15. He’s now 93.
Sorry, I’m known for being pedantic! But the first picture of the Bailey Bridge clearly shows that it was crossing not Howe St but, rather, Georgia St, where Howe crosses Georgia. The final pic, with “Letter from Home” beneath it, shows the highlited caption indicating Georgia St.
I recall in the 70’s when the Seymour River took out the Grantham bridge and it was replaced with a Bailey Bridge that stood for years. I haven’t been there in decades so looked it up on the map – looks like a lot of development has gone on back there!!
Yes, having spent most of my life in North Van I well remember the Bailey Bridge across the Seymour at Grantham. That was replaced by the current structure in the 90’s or early 2000’s if my memory is correct.
There was a longstanding Bailey bridge over the Coquitlam River on Pitt River Road. Pitt River Road was the old highway, pre-Lougheed. The original crossing built in 1926 was known as the Red Bridge.
When an accident damaged the Red Bridge, it was replaced by a “temporary” one-lane Bailey bridge.
A year passed. And then another year. And so on. Finally, they built a modern four-laner, and retired he old worn-out Bailey.
It still says Red Bridge on Google Maps.
Reminds me of a weird bridge thing that carried Georgia Street traffic while the parking garages and walkways were being built underneath for Pacific Centre about 1970. I can’t find anything online but it must have been there for quite a few months.
Actually most are probably EWBBs, Extra WIde Bailey Bridges, which were the same design just able to take the weight of heavier vehicles such as the new (at that time) Centurion tanks. The amazing thing is that with its modular design, you could create various lengths and strengths depending on your need. General Dwight Eisenhower said that the Bailey Bridge was one of the three top items that made Victory in Europe possible.
I was a youngish lieutenant in 6th Field Engineer Squadron, North Vancouver and we built the 140′ span extra wide Bailey Bridge on the w/e of the 30th Nov 1975 that replaced the Grantham Street bridge over the Seymour River.
Do you have any photos Jim?
Note that the Keremeos bridge photo is not a Bailey Bridge but rather a wooden truss bridge. Bailey Bridges are structures built with transportable steel elements that are bolted together to facilitate short span crossings. They are used by military during mobilizations and also by civilian agencies. For decades until recently there was a Bailey Bridge over the Nicomekl River in White Rock.
Anthony, you’ll have to take that up with the Canadian Military Engineers https://cmea-agmc.ca/similkameen-river-bailey-bridge
Hi Eve, great blog! I have to agree with Anthony. If you look at your photo above and the photo at the Military link you will see your photo shows a Truss bridge while theirs shows a Bailey Bridge. A quick web search will reveal the structural differences.
You will get no argument from me! It’s possible I grabbed a photo of the wrong one