Port Mann Bridge time lapse captures deconstruction

It took nearly two years to take the old Port Mann Bridge apart, but a new video means you can watch it disappear piece-by-piece in 30 seconds.

The job of taking the 51-year-old bridge apart began in December 2012, following the opening of its much larger 10-lane replacement.

Crews spent the next two 22 months stripping it down, reversing the order in which it was assembled, starting with the deck, then the girders, the steel arch, and finally the concrete pilings.

"All that remains of the original bridge are two concrete pedestals, or footings. One remains on the western tip of Tree Island, and the other on the southern bank of the Fraser River. Both were left in place because they contribute to shoreline stability and provide habitat for fish and wildlife," said a description of the project on the Port Mann Highway 1 YouTube page.

Originally the government proposed twinning the original bridge with a new five-lane bridge, but then decided that it would be more cost-effective in the long term to build the larger replacement because of ongoing maintenance costs.

The completion of the new bridge including the Highway 1 improvement was only finished in September.