A stretch of Great Northern Way has been shut down due to concerns over a construction crane and its load.
An issue with a construction crane has shut down a stretch of Great Northern Way in East Vancouver and forced the evacuation of a B.C. SPCA animal centre.
Vancouver police said the area has been evacuated due to concerns over a construction crane and its load.
Traffic is blocked on Great Northern Way between Clark and Glen drives, said police.
In a service advisory, TransLink characterized the issue as an “unstable crane,” saying buses are being diverted and service on the Millennium Line between Commercial-Broadway and VCC-Clark stations, located north of the construction site, is suspended as a precaution.
The Millennium Line trains are only going as far as Commercial-Broadway Station, where westbound passengers are asked to switch to the 84 VCC-Clark Station bus instead.
“No one has been injured and it is likely the load will fall safely to the street,” said Const. Tania Visintin in an email at around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. “But at this time, that isn’t definitive.”
Across the street, the B.C. SPCA Vancouver Community Animal Centre has been evacuated until further notice.
Staff and animals have been evacuated to a nearby facility.
The construction crane is at the site of 2150 Keith Dr., which is marketed as a 10-storey mass timber building by BentallGreenOak.
More to come …