Construction of the bridge began on October 28, 1987.[2] The first half of the bridge heading towards Surrey was completed first, with the New Westminster half being completed on March 19, 1990.[2] The bridge was manufactured by Hyundai Engineering & Construction and a Chilliwack-based construction company with a total cost of $28 million CAD.[2]
The SkyBridge does not carry automotive vehicles, as the neighbouring Pattullo Bridge does, but has two tracks enabling the TransLinkSkyTrain to pass either way on the bridge on its journey between King George Station in Surrey and Waterfront Station in DowntownVancouver. A third set of rails in the middle, not connected to the SkyTrain tracks, is used by maintenance crews to truck equipment back and forth on the bridge. The bridge has two 123-metre (404 ft) tall towers and carries trains 45 metres (148 ft) above the Fraser River and valley.[3] The main span is 340 metres (1,120 ft) and the total length is 616 metres (2,021 ft), making it the longest cable-supported transit-only bridge in the world.[4]