It could take months and millions of dollars to restore vehicle access to Lynn Headwaters Regional Park from Lynn Valley.
The District of North Vancouver closed Lynn Valley Road at Evelyn Street indefinitely on Dec. 1 over fears of a landslide, following the completion of a geotechnical report.
“We had known that it had some problems for quite some time but we didn’t understand the extent of the problem until the geo-techs did some sub-surface analysis. They drilled down deep into the road and found that the soil the road is founded on is quite unstable,” said Fiona Dercole, the district’s section manager of public safety.
The closure cuts off access to about 175 parking spots, which were used by trail runners, mountain bikers, dog walkers and hikers. Cyclists and pedestrians are still welcome on the road if they keep to the inside shoulder.
The road was built in the early 1900s, buttressed by fill that would no longer meet today’s standards, Dercole said. Over the years, the district has done minor stability work, resurfacing and drainage improvements to extend the life of the road.
“But that regular maintenance is no longer sufficient and a major mitigation project is needed to stabilize the road to make it in safe operating condition,” she said. “That is an extensive, complicated project. Until then, it needs to be closed for at least the wet, rainy season when landslides are more likely to occur.”
The district’s geotechnical consultants suggested it would cost $2 million to remove the old, unstable fill and replace it with a supportive wall. Staff are exploring other options, including costs and construction schedules.
In the meantime, the district has opened up a handful of time-limited two-hour parking spots on Dempsey, Lynn Valley and Kilmer roads as well as Underwood Avenue, resulting in complaints from residents and trail users.
“We knew that parking was an issue even before this closure. It’s a very popular regional park. We were bound to hear some complaints, especially in the first few weeks or months until people get used to the fact that it’s closed,” she said.
The district will allow a grace period on enforcing the new parking rules as trail users get used to the change, Dercole added.
Alternatively, drivers can access the park from the top of Lillooet Road, where there are two new parking lots. From there, it’s a 1.5-kilometre or 10-minute walk to the top of Lynn Valley Road. But, the best option is leaving the car at home, Dercole said.
“The main message is we’re encouraging people to take public transit whenever they can to ride bikes or to walk. It’s very well serviced by transit,” she said.
Any action taken to revive the road will have to be done in concert with Metro Vancouver. The damaged and risky part of the road is on district property but the parking lots and the park are managed by Metro Vancouver.
“It’s obviously a shared problem where we’ve limited vehicle access into a very popular park so we’re working together to find a solution,” she said. “The next big step will be in the spring when we make a decision as to whether we can open it for the summer or not.”
