Key numbers
| Item | Value | Note | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main span | 472 m (1,550 ft) | Other published values are 472.75 m (Structurae) and 473 m (Wikipedia). They are rounded or converted figures. 1,550 ft is about 472 m, so we use 472 m. | Source S006Source S003Source S002Source S014Source S109 |
| Side spans | 2 × 187 m | Two equal side spans. | Source S002Source S011 |
| Tower height | 111 m (364 ft) | Disputed. The Government of Canada backgrounder gives 118 m (S002). ENR gives 109 m (S011). D'Acres & Luxton measure 111 m (364 ft) from the top of the concrete pier (S083). The base level used by each source is not confirmed. | Source S109Source S058Source S002Source S011Source S083 |
| Ship clearance | 61 m (200 ft) | This is the design clearance at mid-span, above maximum high water. It is not the height of the bridge. The Port of Vancouver measures from higher high water (+5 m) to the lowest part of the structure and keeps a 2 m margin. At the highest tides it allows ships 55.3 to 57.4 m high, depending on the ship's width (S227). | Source S003Source S058Source S227 |
| Deck width | 3 × 3.6 m lanes; 2 × 2.7 m footways (2.0 m clear) | Our sources give no single total width. The rebuilt deck is about 35% wider than the old one, and its usable width is about 45% greater (Matson, S006). D'Acres & Luxton say about 40% wider (S083). Before 2001 the lanes were 2.9 m wide (Matson); Wikipedia says 3 m. The 1938 footways were 1.3 m wide. | Source S006Source S083 |
| Total length | 1,517 m (4,977 ft) with approach spans; 1,823 m with the north viaduct | For the longer figure Wikipedia gives 1,823 m and MONOVA gives 1,829 m (6,000 ft). The sources do not say exactly what each total includes. | Source S001Source S003Source S109Source S058 |
| North approach viaduct | 669 m (2,196 ft) | Other values are 659 m (S002) and about 670 m (S018). We use 669 m because the engineering paper and MONOVA agree. | Source S006Source S058Source S002Source S018 |
| Main cables | 2 cables; 61 strands each; 47 wires per strand; about 37 cm across | MONOVA gives the strand diameter as 3.65 cm (1.44 in). The strands were prefabricated, not spun on site. Roebling supplied the wire and Anglo-Canadian Wire Rope stranded it. | Source S002Source S058Source S003 |
Reading the numbers
The clearance of 61 m is a design figure for mid-span at the highest tide. The deck arches, and the height a ship can use depends on its width, the tide, the air temperature and the traffic load on the bridge. Source S003Source S227
Since 2001 the bridge has a new deck. The lane and footway widths in the table describe that deck, not the 1938 one. Source S006