Project Description

The former Pattullo Bridge in New Westminster, B.C., contained a 20-inch gas line that ensured more than 35,000 homes and businesses in New Westminster, Burnaby, and Coquitlam received the natural gas that they counted on every day.

The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure needed to replace the almost-century-old span due to safety concerns, high crash risks, and its unsound seismic construction; however, the Ministry’s modern design standards did not permit a gas line on the new bridge, so FortisBC built six kilometers of new gas line in the neighbouring City of Burnaby.

The Pacific Gas Line Replacement (PGLR) project took place in a dense urban environment, with multiple stakeholders and permit requirements including municipalities, residents, business owners, utility crossings, road crossings, rail crossings, waterways and park. The project included:

• The installation of approximately 5.7 km of NPS20 of IP pipeline of maximum operating pressure (MOP) 2070 kPa, located between Lougheed Highway and Sperling Ave, and 16th Ave and 4th St;
• Tie-ins to the existing Fortis IP gas lines in Burnaby, BC;
• The construction of a pressure-regulating station at the end of the IP NGL Feed of NPS20, located at the intersection of 16th Ave and 4th St;
• A new cycling and walking path along the route, built in partnership with the City of Burnaby;
• Trenchless construction including HDD and Auger Bore installation methods.

Our Role

RAM provided project services to oversee the on-site construction work being performed by contractors who worked on behalf of Fortis.  Our responsibilities included:

• Detailed inspection services;
• Quality assurance services;
• Safety management;
• Project administration;
• Permit compliance monitoring;
• Project controls;
• Project management;
• Turnover coordination.