District staff is set to recommend full rehabilitation of the aging Nelson Canyon Bridge before it reaches the end of its service life. West Vancouver District Council will consider a $2.1-million rehabilitation plan for the trail bridge at its special council meeting on May 27, at 4 p.m.
The aging structure, originally built in 1956 as part of the Trans-Canada Highway 1 alignment over Nelson Creek, has been closed to vehicular traffic for nearly 50 years and now serves as part of the Trans Canada Trail. According to the report, a principal structural inspection conducted in 2022 found that the bridge is expected to reach the end of its service life by 2031 and currently lacks seismic force-resisting features, meaning it would perform poorly in an earthquake.
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The Council will be asked to direct staff to include the project in the District’s 2027 Capital Budget, with $1.7 million drawn from the District’s Asset Levy and a further $400,000 from the Water Utility to cover replacement of a critical water transmission main that runs beneath the bridge — a line that serves the western part of the District.
The bridge sees meaningful daily use. Pedestrian counts taken in April 2025 recorded between 47 and 139 westbound users per day, with usage expected to climb during the summer months.
Staff will be recommending that the project be delivered in a single construction phase rather than two. According to the report, while a phased approach would reduce upfront spending, it would ultimately cost around $200,000 more — bringing the total to roughly $2.3 million — due to duplicated engineering fees, contractor mobilization costs, and the risk of future construction cost escalations.
If Council approves the funding strategy, staff will proceed immediately with a construction tender package. According to the report, based on the anticipated construction schedule, the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2028, leaving a narrow window before the bridge’s projected end of service life in 2031.
