Westham Island Bridge Set for Saturday Night Reopening After January Barge Incident
The Westham Island Bridge, a vital connection between a Ladner neighborhood and Delta, is scheduled to reopen to vehicle traffic on Saturday evening. TransLink, the bridge's owner and operator, announced that the reopening will occur at approximately 7 p.m., following a final inspection that confirmed the safety of the repairs.
Significant Damage from January Collision
The bridge has been closed since January when it was struck by a barge, causing substantial structural damage. The collision severely impacted Pier 5, one of the bridge's main supports, shifting parts of the bridge out of alignment and damaging the bearing that connects the bridge deck to the pier. This incident necessitated extensive emergency repairs to restore the bridge's integrity.
Traffic Management and Interim Services
TransLink anticipates a high volume of traffic during the initial reopening phase. To ensure safe and efficient movement, traffic control personnel will remain on site through the end of March, relocated from Savage Road and Wellington Point Park to the bridge area. With bridge access restored, temporary shuttle bus, water taxi, and Evo services will be discontinued. The final water taxi departure from Savage Road to Wellington Point Park is set for 8 p.m.
Ongoing Work and Community Impact
Some emergency repair work will continue over the next several weeks, including the placement of rock protection, removal of temporary structures, and additional steel reinforcements. During this period, Transport Canada's navigation warning remains in effect, keeping the navigation channel closed to marine traffic. The old bridge, which crosses Canoe Passage—a side branch of the Fraser River—is one of the few in the Lower Mainland still containing wooden components and features a swing section to allow boat passage.
Delta MP Jill McKnight hailed the reopening as "great news for our community," expressing gratitude to TransLink and the City of Delta for restoring this critical connection and implementing interim measures to support the Westham Island community. The island is home to a small community, several farms, and the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, which plans to reopen once vehicles begin crossing the bridge again.
