Repairs to the Westham Island Bridge across the Fraser River’s south arm in Delta are expected to take longer than first anticipated after a marine vessel strike on Tuesday caused more extensive damage than initially believed, according to a bulletin by TransLink on Thursday evening.
The bridge, which provides the only fixed-link vehicle access between the mainland and Westham Island, was closed to vehicle traffic immediately after the collision. City of Delta officials previously told Daily Hive Urbanized the collision involved a tug boat towing a large barge.
Full extent of the damage is still not known
In its bulletin providing the latest update on the evolving situation, TransLink states crews moved quickly to assess the damage and develop a repair plan, but a follow-up inspection by structural engineers has since changed the outlook.
Engineers have now determined the damage is more significant than first assessed, and the full scope is still not known. Over the coming days, crews will carry out additional detailed surveys and inspections to support a revised engineering design for repairs.
“Based on today’s inspection work, we now have a better understanding of the extent of the damage. Because of this new information, the original plan for repair is no longer possible,” reads the Thursday evening bulletin.
“The damage is more significant, and we still don’t know the full extent,” continues TransLink’s bulletin.
Damage to the Westham Island Bridge following a marine vessel collision on Jan. 20, 2026. (Dylan Kruger)
Location of Westham Island Bridge. (Google Maps)
No firm estimate for when the bridge can reopen
As a result, TransLink notes it cannot yet provide a reliable timeline for reopening the bridge to vehicle traffic.
Updated preliminary estimates based on the latest damage assessment suggest repairs could take several weeks, but TransLink cautioned that the schedule will depend on further inspection findings, design requirements, materials availability, and permitting.
“We know residents and businesses need certainty, and we don’t want to provide a timeline until we can stand behind it. Safety will continue to guide every decision as we move forward,” continues the bulletin.
The bridge will remain closed to all vehicle traffic until further notice. Pedestrian access is continuing, with ongoing monitoring to ensure safety.
To support residents and workers, TransLink is working with the City of Delta and other entities to provide a temporary free shuttle bus service — between the east end of the bridge and Ladner bus exchange — and additional assistance for those who may need extra help travelling on and off the island.
Westham Island Bridge. (Josef Hanus/Shutterstock)
Westham Island Bridge. (Google Maps)
TransLink began planning for a new replacement bridge before the incident
The bridge links Westham Island — a sizeable island on the west side of Delta with a number of major farming businesses and home to some residents — with the Ladner area of Delta.
The bridge is one of the Fraser River’s lesser-known crossings and is owned and operated by TransLink.
The 1910-built crossing is a single-lane, wood-deck truss bridge spanning a length of 325 metres and a height of 4.4 metres above the river. A steel swing span in the middle of the bridge opens up as much as eight times a day to enable marine traffic to pass through.
In addition to its age, the bridge has low clearances for marine vessels, cannot support the weight of semi-trucks needed to better serve the island’s farming businesses, and lacks dedicated pedestrian and cycling pathways. Its swing-span mechanism can freeze and seize during sub-zero temperatures, requiring marine traffic to take lengthy detours until temperatures warm up.
In December 2025, Daily Hive Urbanized reported that TransLink is in the early stages of planning a new replacement bridge due to the existing crossing’s age, deficiencies, vulnerabilities, and condition.
Ongoing maintenance to keep the bridge safe and its swing-span mechanism operational can only go so far for a wooden structure that was originally designed to last 60 years, but is now 115 years old.
Westham Island Bridge. (Jay Howard/Shutterstock)
Westham Island Bridge. (Stefan Malloch/Shutterstock)