It’s official.
After more than two months of repairs, the Westham Island Bridge finally reopened Saturday night.
The 116-year-old bridge, which represents the only way on and off Delta’s Westham Island, was struck by a barge Jan. 20. The hit knocked the bridge off one of its main supports, resulting in the need for major repairs.
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With vehicle and foot traffic now flowing again, residents are looking forward to putting this saga behind them. Many have had to plan their days around the departures of shuttles and boats to get to and from the mainland.
“We’ve had to consider every move for the past two, three months,” one local told CityNews.
“So it’s really freeing.”
On the positive side, residents say these challenges actually created opportunities for bonding.
“We were on buses together, and water taxis together, and commiserating with one another,” one said.
“I think, maybe a year from now, we’ll feel a bit nostalgic about this because of how the community has come together during a challenging time,” another resident said.
The last two months have been an especially challenging time for local farmers. Westham Island is a major agricultural hub, and with planting season on the horizon, the bridge’s closure was beginning to cause some serious anxiety.
“We were even getting to the point of worrying, could we even farm this year?” a local farmer said.
“But we’re looking good. We’re looking good now.”
With repairs now complete, city officials say plans for a replacement bridge need to be at the top of the priority list.
Delta Mayor George Harvie says that given the bridge’s history, a modern upgrade can’t come soon enough.
“We can’t continue to have this bridge in existence, because it’s just too old,” he said.
“It’s not the first time that it’s been damaged, and it won’t be the last time, but it may be the last time we are able to fix it.”
The cost of this latest repair is still unknown, but after two months without normal access to the island, residents are just grateful that the powers that be were looking out for them.
“They really supported us,” one resident said.
“The City of Delta, TransLink, were fantastic.”
Residents planned a barn party to celebrate the reopening, with shuttle and water taxi staff invited as well.
