Barge-damaged Delta bridge reopening to traffic after 2 months of repairs

The repaired Westham Island Bridge is seen from above on Saturday, March 28, 2026. (CTV News)

More than two months after a vessel strike closed Delta’s Westham Island Bridge, the span is ready to reopen.

The “final lift,” which placed the bridge onto its new support structure, was completed this week, according to TransLink, which operates the bridge.

“Our team has completed the safety inspection, which confirms the bridge will be ready to reopen to vehicle traffic on Saturday,” TransLink said in an email to residents Thursday night.

Traffic will resume crossing the bridge around 7 p.m. Saturday, and the transit operator is expecting “high volume” during the reopening.

“Traffic control personnel will remain on-site 24/7 through the end of March,” TransLink said. “They will be relocated from Savage Road and Wellington Point Park to the bridge to support safe and efficient traffic movement.”

Savage Road and Wellington Point Park have been the departure points for the water taxi that has been operating during the bridge closure. TransLink has also organized a temporary shuttle on Westham Island to make it easier for residents to get around, and has worked with Evo car share to allow residents to access vehicles on the mainland.

All of those services will end at 8 p.m. Saturday, once the bridge is open.

“Please make travel plans accordingly as we shift back to full vehicle access on the bridge.”

The bridge closed to vehicles after it was struck and damaged by a barge on the evening of Jan. 20.

The closure cut off Westham Island’s roughly 200 residents from the rest of Delta, and also stranded produce from the island’s several farms.

TransLink is in the early stages of planning a replacement for the 116-year-old wooden-decked bridge. The repairs conducted over the last several weeks included lifting a section so the damaged area could be accessed, replacing damaged piles and beams, and reconnecting the bridge and the pier.

Additional work—including “continued placement of rock protection” and “placing some additional steel reinforcements”—is expected to continue for several weeks after the bridge reopens, TransLink said.

“There may also be times when the swing span opens to allow crews to safely access specific areas and complete the remaining emergency work,” the agency said. “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 to 15 minutes at a time.”