Granville Street bridge closed in both directions due to ‘ongoing police incident’; drivers urged to use alternate routes

The Granville Street Bridge, which connects South Granville to downtown, was closed in both directions Tuesday afternoon, May 12 as police responded to an ongoing incident during the beginning of rush hour traffic.

In a post on X, the Vancouver Police Department urged drivers to avoid the area and use alternate routes while officers remained on the scene.

“#VanTraffic: Granville Street Bridge closed both ways due to an ongoing police incident. Please avoid the area and consider alternate routes,” the department said in the post.



CTV News, citing the police while reporting that the incident on the eight-lane fixed cantilever bridge was not criminal in nature.

The closure also affected public transportation in the area. Several TransLink bus routes were being rerouted until the bridge reopens.

What led to granville bridge closure?

While authorities have not officially confirmed details about the incident on the Granville Street Bridge, reactions on X suggested it may have involved a mental health crisis situation that required police de-escalation efforts.

“It’s called de escalating the situation. The person was in complete mental health crisis. Mental health is serious,” one X user wrote in response to criticism of the prolonged closure.

However, some X users posted video of the reported incident showing a women hanging from it.



The delay in opening the bridge led some users to question why the bridge remained closed for several hours and express frustration over traffic disruptions during rush hour. Others defended the police response, arguing that mental health emergencies can require careful negotiation and time to resolve safely.