An old bridge in West Vancouver is getting a new lifespan.
Council voted unanimously on Monday to advance a $1.5 million upgrade to the Nelson Canyon Bridge. If given final approval, the municipality will replace the deck of the nearly 70-year-old span, while improving its resistance to seismic activity.
Built in 1956, the Nelson Canyon bridge was part of the old Trans Canada Highway and is located just north of the current highway.
Currently, it’s used as a pedestrian walkway and occasionally by service vehicles. During its peak activity in spring over the Easter long weekend, the bridge saw daily traffic of 226 pedestrians.
The main reasons for upgrading Nelson Canyon Bridge are its age and lack of seismic resistance, staff said. If there were a large earthquake, the current weight of the concrete deck and the lack of seismic resistance features could cause the bridge to fail.
If the bridge failed catastrophically, the western part of the district could lose water service because the bridge also carries a water line.
Staff first came to council with options for upgrading the bridge in February. On Monday, two options were presented: a full deck replacement for $1.5 million or a half deck replacement with cost savings of $100,000.
If the half-deck replacement was built, the district might have to construct a fence to prevent people from climbing out onto the exposed beams, staff said. Another disadvantage with this option is that more steel would be exposed making it vulnerable to deterioration.
Staff recommended the full deck replacement option, and council agreed.
Council voted for staff to report back with refined funding options, a proposed project timeline and detailed cost estimate for the full-deck project. A date has not been set yet for the matter to come back to council.
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