WATCH: New pedestrian bridge over Highway 1 opens in North Van

NORTH VANCOUVER — For decades, those trying to travel sans vehicle between the neighbourhoods of Cedar Village and Loutet have had to navigate the obstacle that is Highway 1.

With no dedicated pedestrian or cycling paths from one side to the other, that has meant going under the busy thoroughfare via Lynn Valley Rd. or over via Mountain Hwy.

On Thursday, however, residents finally got what they'd long been asking for — a brand new car-free bridge.

The aptly named Crosscut Bridge connects Rufus Ave. near Loutet Park with Rufus Dr. on the north side of the highway.

"Today is about more than a bridge," Mayor Linda Buchanan said during the opening ceremony for the $17 million project. "Today we celebrate the completion of a vision over a decade in the making, and that is seeing two sides of our city stitched back together."

She noted that "in 1964, Highway 1 divided our community in two," and that the name of the new bridge "lends itself to that history of separation here on the North Shore."

Her sentiments were shared by Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma, who also pointed out that while highways are "such important, critical pieces of infrastructure," they "also, unfortunately, end up dividing communities."

"It is easy to think of it as simply another multi-use path," she said of the bridge, "or to simplify its importance in terms of — and this is very important — safety for vulnerable road users ... but even more than all of that, it is a connector of our community; it reunifies North Vancouver and the North Shore."

Following the speeches, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony at the southern end of the bridge.

From there, elected officials and locals made the crossing for the first time.

Before long, walkers, runners, cyclists, and roller skaters were traversing the span, no doubt enjoying no longer having to go aaall the way around.