Westham Island Bridge in Delta set to open Saturday night<\/p>\n
Published 10:39 am Saturday, March 28, 2026<\/p>\n
Westham Island Bridge will reopen to vehicle traffic on Saturday, March 28, at around 7 p.m. This follows a two-month closure for repairs after a marine vessel struck the bridge.<\/p>\n
TransLink, which owns and operates the bridge, stated in an update Thursday (March 26) that, \u201cThis milestone follows the successful completion of the final lift, where the bridge was carefully placed onto its new permanent support structure. Our team has completed the safety inspection, which confirms the bridge will be ready to reopen to vehicle traffic on Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since Jan. 20, when a marine vessel struck and damaged the bridge, requiring it to be closed while an assessment was conducted to evaluate the damage.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 22, TransLink engineers found that the damage was \u201cmore significant\u201d than expected and could not provide a \u201creliable timeline for reopening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detailed engineering inspections that Pier 5, one of the bridge\u2019s primary support structures, was severely impacted in the collision, shifting parts of the bridge out of alignment and damaging the bearing that connects the bridge deck to the pier. As a result, Pier 5 is no longer able to safely support vehicle loads.<\/p>\n
TransLink and the City of Delta ensured residents of the island could still get where they needed to go, and free shuttle services and water taxis were offered. These services will end Saturday night (March 28) at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n
Some work on the bridge and its surrounding area will continue over the next several weeks, including \u201cthe placement of rock protection, the removal of the temporary structure, and the placement of additional steel reinforcements. Transport Canada\u2019s navigation warning will remain in place while this work is underway, which means the navigation channel remains closed to marine traffic,\u201d TransLink said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere may also be times when the swing span opens to allow crews to safely access specific areas and complete the remaining emergency work. These openings would be controlled, limited, and similar to regular swing span operations. To minimize disruptions, these activities will be scheduled between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., up to three times per week for 10-15 minutes at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Traffic control personnel will remain at the bridge 24\/7 until the end of the month, TransLink said.<\/p>\n
Jill McKnight, the MP for Delta, stated in a post on X that she was \u201cGrateful to TransLink and the City of Delta for their hard work expediting to restore this critical connection. To the Westham Island community, thank you for your patience.\u201d<\/p>\n