The Canada Line has come to the rescue of the Pattullo Bridge -- with a steel and concrete structure used during the line's construction being recycled to replace the burned-out wooden section of the bridge.
This means the Pattullo should be repaired and reopened to traffic in about two weeks, said TransLink on Wednesday.
The structure will span the 20-metre gap created by the fire and was found in the Langley yard of Surespan Construction by TransLink design consultants Buckland and Taylor.
While the repair is ongoing, TransLink said it would also carry out pothole repairs and repaving plans on the bridge deck.
The Pattullo was severely damaged by a fire which police said spread from a cooking fire started by homeless people on January 18.
Displaced commuters have been forced to use the Massey Tunnel, and the Alex Fraser and Port Mann Bridges -- leading to long lines of traffic congestion.
It was initially thought it would take between four and six weeks to fix the Pattullo, which is one of the main links in the Lower Mainland transportation system, carrying 80,000 vehicles daily between Surrey and New Westminister.
A replacement for the 72-year-old bridge is around 10 years away.
