Crews are already working to demolish a fire damaged section of the Pattullo Bridge -- and closure of the major commuter span is having an equally destructive effect on rush hour traffic.

Long line-ups were forming before 6 a.m. on Metro Vancouver routes leading to other bridges across the Fraser River.

It was a similar situation Monday night, as drivers battled crowded highways and bridges on the first full-day commute following a major fire that damaged a section of the Pattullo Bridge early Sunday morning.

Some people had hours added to their daily journey, thanks to the damage to wooden trestles on the southern, Surrey-end of the bridge.

TransLink -- which owns the span between Surrey and New Westminster -- says the Pattullo will be closed for at least a month, straining capacity on feeder routes leading to other bridges across the Fraser River.

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The fire destroyed creosote-coated wooden supports for the 72-year-old bridge across the Fraser River.

A new bridge is being planned, but it will be 10 years at least before it is built.

CEO Tom Prendergast says it could cost up to $2-million to repair the 18-metre section that burned, and by Monday afternoon workers were already starting to cut up the damaged bridge deck.

A cooking fire started by homeless people camped out under the bridge spread to the wooden supports, said police.

David Hay, a nearby resident, said he was worried about some of the people who lived under the bridge.

Officials are considering allowing vehicles with just one person to drive in HOV lanes to alleviate the pressure on the roads.

And TransLink has already made significant changes to bus and SkyTrain schedules to help ease traffic tensions, and they ask drivers to spread out their travel time.

"Those who can use transit ought to look at it as an option. Those who can carpool with other people ought to look at it as an option," said TransLink's CEO Tom Prendergast.

"And give some lenience to your employees let the employee decide what is best for him or her, in terms of the getting into work."

The fire, which had been smoldering, flared up again this morning, as the pilings reignited. Fire crews returned to the section as smoke began billowing from under the Pattullo just before 5 a.m. Monday morning.

With reports from CTV British Columbia's Renu Bakshi, Reshmi Nair, St. John Alexander and Julia Foy, and files from The Canadian Press.