The decision to close a key Vancouver bridge and leave thousands of commuters stranded in the heat on Canada Day, has sparked calls for the introduction of measures that could prevent such lengthy traffic delays in the future.

Traffic was disrupted Tuesday after police closed the Iron Worker's Memorial Bridge, allowing authorities to deal with a distraught woman, who was threatening to jump off the bridge.

City of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto said the decision to close such a key traffic artery is unacceptable and shouldn't happen again.

"We're going to have to look at our protocols to ensure we minimize delays to public in future,'' said Mussatto.

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge brought in security, cameras and crisis phones years ago.

But to date, not a single bridge in B.C.'s Lower Mainland area has been retrofitted with any type of barrier.

A key exception will be the new Golden Ears bridge, linking Maple Ridge and Langley. It will have suicide barriers.

Mussatto says it was Vancouver police who made the decision to close the Iron Worker's bridge on Tuesday.

North Vancouver RCMP wanted to keep traffic moving, but Vancouver police ordered a complete shutdown. They were in charge because the incident was on their side of the bridge, Mussatto said

As traffic continued to pile up near the Iron Worker's bridge, a vehicle collision on the Lions Gate Bridge on Tuesday forced police to close that bridge around 6 p.m. for about one hour.

However, while speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Vancouver Police Const. Tim Fanning defended the decision to close the Iron Worker's Bridge.

"The measures we took yesterday were absolutely necessary in guaranteeing the safety of the woman on the bridge,'' he said.

Police say the woman's life was saved because of their decision to close the bridge indefinitely while a negotiator tried to talk the woman down from the ledge.

Hours into the Iron Workers' standoff, police made the rare move of allowing drivers to back their vehicles off the Iron Worker's Bridge deck to escape the gridlock.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Carrie Stefanson.