A long commute is a simple fact of life in Metro Vancouver, but some areas have it worse than others.
According to new data, these updated stats reveal that one specific bridge is far more congested than the rest on a per-lane basis. If you drive over this one every day, then you’ll already know which one we’re talking about.
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The Busiest Bridge In Metro Vancouver
If you said the busiest, most congested bridge in Metro Vancouver is the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, then you’d be correct.
A report received by the District of North Vancouver’s council shows new 2025 bridge traffic statistics around Metro Vancouver. While bridges like the Port Mann Bridge are bigger and haul more people, the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge comparatively has more congestion due to its smaller size. The Port Mann Bridge has 10 lanes and accommodated 179,000 crossings every day. The Ironworkers Memorial Bridge has only 6 lanes and had 130,700 crossings.
This adds to 21,800 vehicles per lane, per day. The report notes that “this represents the highest per lane traffic volume among major regional crossings.”
Notably, the Ironworkers’ traffic continues to climb even as other crossings remain stable or have declined since 2019. The report goes on to say, “Despite carrying the highest level of lane traffic in the region, the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing has not received significant investment from senior governments.”
“While newer crossings such as the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges are designed to absorb growing demand, the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge has been operating above capacity for years without comparable investment.”
The Ironworkers Memorial Bridge is infamous in Metro Vancouver for “falling short for drivers, transit users, and goods movement.” The report calls on the importance of a replacement for the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge to “support safety, reliability, and future growth to and from the North Shore, across the Metro Vancouver region, and beyond.”
