Work is underway to replace the single-lane Lillooet Station Bridge on Highway 99, with a new $11.9 million, two-lane structure.

The temporary bridge, which connects Lillooet to the Cayoose Creek Indian Reserve was installed in 1994, and Mayor Peter Busse says it will be built right next to the existing structure.

That existing bridge will be used as a detour to keep traffic moving during construction.

“When you make note of the traffic that came through in the summer, I think a little over 500 buses, and all of them would have crossed that bridge,” he said. “It’s a crucial, critical, and it will improve the transport for our community especially up the Sea to Sky, and back down the Sky to Sea.”

The new two-lane crossing will include a pedestrian sidewalk, and it will be built using steel girders and pilings which will eliminate the need for a pier in the river.

Work is expected to be completed by fall 2020, and drivers can expect minor delays in the area until then.