Westham Island Bridge Closures

November 07, 2003

Vancouver - Construction work is underway on the Westham Island bridge, connecting Westham Island with Ladner. The work is to carry out safety improvements that will increase the load carrying capacity of the bridge. Some of the work will require closure of the bridge between November 10th and late-December. To minimize the impact on local residents the closures will be scheduled primarily between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, Sunday to Thursday; closures are not expected on Friday or Saturday evenings.

Notices have been sent to island residences in advance of the work. In addition, signage has been erected at either end of the bridge to advise residents the day of any closure. Provisions have also been made to ensure that emergency services will be able to access the island, if required, during a closure.

The bridge was originally constructed sometime between 1909 and 1912. Over the past ninety years, the original spans have been rebuilt, with components from other bridges. Ownership of the bridge passed to the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (GVTA) from the provincial government when TransLink was created in April 1999.

Since the 1980's load restrictions have been in place on the bridge, which has limited the shipping capacity of local farms on the island. When work now underway is completed, load limits will increase from the current 20 tonnes.

Construction will be carried out by Mainroad Contracting Ltd. under contract to TransLink. The bridge is part of 2,300 lane/km of roads and bridges funded by TransLink. Total value of the bridge work, including engineering, is estimated at just under $ 750,000.

For further information on possible closures and project details, contact Doug Jensen, Mainroad Contracting Ltd. at 604.574.3164