Editor’s Note: The following story was included in a special section celebrating the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt. The special section was published on May 15, 2026 in the Hope Standard. At least one worker lost his life on the job, during the construction of the Coquihalla Highway. Richard Lloyd Gabrielson of Clearbrook was an ironworker with Britain Steel of New Westminster. The 22-year-old reportedly fell 90 m from a bridge being constructed across the area known
as Dry Gulch. He was reported missing on June 21, 1985 and was found later that day by his co-workers at the bottom of the gorge. The Chilliwack Progress reported the following week that Gabrielson was likely working on the centre span of the 175-metre, four-lane bridge, 54 km north of Hope. Nobody saw him fall. RCMP and a coroner from Chilliwack were flown to the scene by helicopter. Gabrielson left behind a wife and two children. Girders fall In April of 1985, tragedy was
avoided when four giant bridge girders collapsed at a site 2.5 km east of Hope at Thacker Creek. Project manager Andy Krebs said at the time that there “might have been a defect in the temporary aluminum scaffolding used to hold up the precast concrete beams, causing a pair of 30-metre long girders to crash to the ground.” The Workers’ Compensation Board (now WorkSafeBC) reported at the time that the scaffold had not been erected “strictly to design specifications,” and that modifications had been made
by the contractor. There were 20 workers on site at the time, and none were injured. There were a total of 25 bridges completed for the Hope to Merritt section of the Coquihalla.
Coquihalla Highway, Hope to Merritt, Dry Gulch, Thacker Creek, ironworker, RCMP, coroner, Britain Steel, WorkSafeBC, bridge girders
90 meters is insane, like how does nobody see that??
This is so sad. I don’t even get how a scaffold not built to specs doesn’t just mean stop work right away. Also why was he even out there with no one watching?
Wait so the article says bridge girders collapsed first in April and then this guy fell in June… sounds like they were rushing that whole project or something. But then it also says it was across from Dry Gulch and 54 km north of Hope which makes no sense to me, like same area or not?
My uncle worked iron jobs and said those temporary setups are always sketchy, so I’m not surprised. RCMP and a coroner flown in sounds dramatic but at least they found him, right. It says missing June 21 and found later that day, but “bottom of the gorge”?? I can’t picture it. Also Britain Steel like… was that even the company that makes the girders? Idk.