Lillooet Suspension Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lillooet Suspension Bridge |
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| Coordinates | 50°42′41″N 121°54′41″W / 50.7115°N 121.9114°W |
| Carries | Pedestrians and bicycles |
| Crosses | Fraser River |
| Locale | Lillooet, British Columbia |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Suspension bridge |
| Total length | 161 metres (528 ft) |
| Longest span | 121.9 metres (400 ft) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1913 |
The Lillooet Suspension Bridge is a cool old bridge in Lillooet, British Columbia. People also call it the Lillooet Old Bridge. This bridge crosses the mighty Fraser River. It connects the town of Lillooet with British Columbia Highway 99. Today, it's a special path for people walking and riding bikes.
The Story of the Bridge
The Lillooet Suspension Bridge was built in 1913. Before it, there was an older bridge made of metal frames, built in 1889. Even earlier, from 1860 to 1888, a special ferry carried people across the river.
For many years, the suspension bridge carried cars, but only one lane at a time. This changed in 1981 when a new highway bridge opened. That new bridge was called the Bridge of the Twenty-Three Camels. After the new bridge opened, locals started calling the older suspension bridge "The Old Bridge."
In 2003, the local government and the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation worked together. They fixed up the bridge so it could be used only by people walking or cycling. As part of this project, the Lillooet Naturalist Society also helped. They added special bat houses to the bridge structure. These bat houses give bats a safe place to live.
