Lions Gate Bridge closing for 3 nights starting Friday

Motorists travelling at night between Vancouver and the North Shore later this week will not be able to use the Lions Gate Bridge.

As of Friday, the crossing will be closed for three consecutive nights while upgrades are made to its counterflow system.

According to a release from the B.C. Ministry of Transportation, this will include a changeover and a testing of the electrical system.Motorists will be detoured to the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge while this work is underway.

With the exception of emergency vehicles and late night buses, the Lions Gate will be closed during the following hours:

• Friday, April 29, 10 p.m.-8 a.m.
• Saturday, April 30, 8 p.m.-5 a.m.
• Sunday, May 1, 8 p.m.-5 a.m.

WATCH | Learn how the counterflow system on the Lions Gate Bridge works:

Maintenance contractor Miller Capilano Highway Servicesmonitors more than 40 cameras on the bridge and surrounding roads from the Transportation Management Centre of British Columbia in Coquitlam. These contractors areresponsible for manually changing the lane directions based on traffic volumes and safety.

Upgrades to the current system have already included new LED lane signal heads, streetlightsand cameras. The systems will be tested this weekend.

Outside of the overnight closures, the bridge and causeway will be open to traffic with a partial system counterflow in place. Pedestrians and cyclists will have access at all hours on the east sidewalk.

According to the province, an estimated 60,000 drivers cross the Lions Gate Bridge daily.