PUBLISHED FEB. 21, 2014
With time ticking to fix an aging bailey bridge between Coquitlam and New Westminster, Coquitlam city staff have now formally asked for the provincial government for help to resolve its impasse with the Royal City.
This week, a Coquitlam city spokesperson said since no more meetings are scheduled between the two municipalities on the issue, Coquitlam has applied to the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development to step in with a binding arbitration process.
The move comes after a structural engineer last year reported the one-lane, 19-year-old link at the west end of United Boulevard had a "critical fatigue crack" and needed to be replaced by the end of 2014.
Coquitlam wants to see the Braid Street bridge temporarily converted to two lanes at a cost of $1.7 million. But New West has opposed that suggestion, saying traffic in the area is already jammed, especially with the rail cars.
