The Ironworkers Memorial Bridge is on track to become the busiest crossing in Metro Vancouver, according to a report presented to the District of North Vancouver council.
Analysis of 2025 traffic data from the Ministry of Transportation & Transit and from TransLink shows that volumes on the Ironworkers Bridge have increased since 2019, while several other major regional crossings have seen stable or declining traffic.
Approximately 130,700 vehicles per day cross the Ironworkers, according to the report, with about 21,800 vehicles per day per lane last year, which is beyond capacity.
More vehicles cross the Port Mann Bridge per day, but as the report states, that bridge is 10 lanes and the Ironworkers Bridge is only six.
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Congestion frequently spills onto local streets, which were not intended, nor designed to accommodate spillover regional traffic and the report states that those roads often can’t be expanded due to topography, creeks and private property.
Collisions and congestion on the bridge can trigger widespread gridlock across the North Shore, slowing down transit and emergency response vehicles.
“Despite existing unmet demand and anticipated growth driven by provincially mandated housing and employment targets, the Province has no committed upgrades to Highway 1 serving the North Shore,” the report states.
“Continued advocacy for replacement of the (Ironworkers Bridge) IWMB and upgrades to the Highway 1 corridor remains critical.”
The report states that these high numbers reinforce the importance of continued advocacy for corridor capacity, reliability, and long-term investment improvements for North Vancouver.
Between 2019 and 2025, the Ironworkers surpassed the George Massey Tunnel as the most congested crossing.
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