Access restored to Westham Island after temporary closure caused by marine vessel strike

DELTA, BC – The Westham Island Bridge has reopened to vehicle traffic following critical safety repairs after a marine vessel damaged one of the bridge’s piers in late January. Crews have completed the necessary work to safely reopen the bridge to vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Over the past 67 days, crews have been working around the clock to repair the bridge as safely and efficiently as possible. Repairs have included installation of a temporary pier, removal of the damaged pier materials, rehabilitation of the bridge deck, and construction of a new pier, which involved pile driving and installing large structural support beams.

Some critical repair work will continue in the coming weeks to stabilize piles with rock protection, remove the temporary pier, and add more steel reinforcements. The navigation channel remains closed to marine traffic while this is an active construction site.

There may also be intermittent times when the swing span must open to allow crews to safely access specific areas and complete the remaining work. These openings will last around 15 minutes at a time and will be scheduled overnight to minimize further disruptions to the community.

Over the past several weeks, teams from TransLink, City of Delta, the Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, and the Ministry of Agriculture have worked closely together to support the community and help restore access to Westham Island. This reopening reflects the commitment of the many people who contributed to the repair effort in every capacity.

TransLink thanks Westham Island residents, businesses, mariners, and bridge users for their patience as crews worked to repair the bridge as quickly as possible.

Media contact: 
TransLink Media Relations
E: media@translink.ca