BURST
Residents of Westham Island in Delta will have to rely on water taxis for weeks after TransLink made the decision it needs to cut off pedestrian access to repair a bridge damaged by a tugboat.
TransLink, which owns and operates the bridge, has been assessing the damage caused by a hit from a tugboat on Jan. 20. The damage was serious enough that TransLink immediately closed the bridge to vehicle traffic, but has been allowing residents to cross on foot to be shuttled into Ladner.
“Over the past several days, TransLink has heard clearly through community meetings, on-site conversations and emails that the top priority is restoring the Westham Island Bridge as quickly as possible, even if that comes with added short-term inconvenience,” the transit agency said Tuesday.
The bridge will fully close to pedestrians starting Wednesday at 9 a.m. and it will stay closed until further notice — several weeks, at least — “so crews can carry out continuous repair work without repeated stops and starts.” Emergency crews will continue to have access at all times.
“The full closure is a necessary trade-off that allows crews to take advantage of every available efficiency and maintain safe work zones,” said TransLink. It noted work might not be visible on some days but “ critical activities will still be underway on or around the structure.”
A water taxi service will operate 24/7 for people to get on and off the island. Departures and arrivals will be every 30 minutes from 4888 Savage Rd. on Westham Island to Wellington Point Park in Ladner, with one-way trips taking about 10 to 15 minutes depending on tides. Between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., the taxi will operate on-call by phoning ahead at 604-726-2423.
Residents will also have to endure the noise of pile driving intermittently, an essential step in stabilizing the bridge. The City of Delta has amended its noise bylaws to allow the work at any time of day, including overnight to speed up the completion of repairs.
As work on the “complex project” progresses, TransLink said it will provide more accurate timelines and notify area residents about how they’ll be impacted.
There was one bit of good news for Westham Islanders on Tuesday. A precautionary boil-water advisory issued on Jan. 23 has been lifted after repairs to the water main serving the island and testing showed the water is safe to consume.