Artistic rendering of the new pedestrian walkway at Metrotown SkyTrain Station (TransLink)
While the idea has been "up in the air" for years, the City of Burnaby has confirmed that it will replace the Metrotown pedestrian bridge.
The decision was revealed in the city's 2019-2023 Financial Capital Plan which was presented in City Council on Monday, May 6.
Since the previous bridge closed in 2016, pedestrians have used crosswalks on Central Boulevard to access the Metropolis at Metrotown. Now, the overhead walkway will provide a safe, covered option for pedestrians who are crossing the busy street from Metrotown SkyTrain station to visit the mall.
The city will allocate $1.25 million from the 2019 budget towards the new pedestrian bridge. Following this, it will allocate $1 million in 2020, $7.5 million in 2021, and $7.5 million in 2022.
The plan does not specify when the new bridge would be accessible for public use.
A rendering of the completed Metrotown Station upgrades project (TransLink)
The old pedestrian walkway connecting Metrotown SkyTrain Station to Metropolis at Metrotown (TransLink)
Metrotown Station opened in 1986 and sees the second highest amount of foot traffic of any SkyTrain station in the Lower Mainland. Last year, Metrotown saw an impressive 8,214,000 boardings.
