Westham Island Bridge: 116 Years of History & Community

If you've ever driven across the single-lane wooden bridge to Westham Island, you know there's something special about the crossing. The creak of timbers, the pause for single-lane traffic that allows you to pause too, and take in the view, and the rural way of life you embrace the instant you land on the other side. This isn't just any bridge; it's a 116-year-old icon that has connected Delta farms to the mainland since 1910. On January 20th, 2026, this essential connector was damaged, with authorities now predicting repairs will take weeks, not days.

A Bridge Born from Necessity

Before the Westham Island Bridge existed, life on the island was beautifully isolated but challenging. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, ferries operated across Canoe Pass, but they had one major limitation: transporting livestock. The bridge changed everything.

Construction began in 1909, and on March 29, 1910, the Westham Island Bridge officially opened to great celebration. The local Delta Times captured the moment, noting it was "a memorable occasion for the people of Westham Island, marking the establishment of the first direct means of communication with the outside world." The article continued, describing how the island was now "on equal footing with the rest of the municipality" and predicted the bridge would herald "a new era" for the community.

They weren't wrong.

An Engineering Marvel of Its Time

The original bridge was a marvel of early 20th-century engineering. It was a 325-metre-long wooden truss swing bridge with a manually operated centre span. Picture this: the bridge tender would lift a steel plate in the deck, insert a three-metre bar into a capstan, and slowly walk around it to open or close the span for passing vessels. The longest-serving bridge tender remained at his post for 31 years, remarkably continuing his duties despite having lost an arm in World War I.

Today, an electric motor handles the heavy lifting, though the bridge still maintains its manual capacity as a backup. The swing span opens about seven to eight times a day, primarily for fishing boats but also pleasure craft making their way along the Fraser River. Marine traffic must call ahead 40 minutes on VHF channel 74, a ritual that has become part of the rhythm of life on Westham Island.

Bridge Struggles

Like any structure that has weathered more than a century of seasons, the Westham Island Bridge has seen its share of challenges. In August 1969, a tug pulling a barge took out a 49-metre section of the bridge. For five days, a barge ferry provided service across until a bailey bridge could be floated into place.

Over the decades, the bridge has been rebuilt, refitted, and rehabilitated countless times. Only one superstructure span remains of wood construction, though even its beams have been replaced over the years. The decking planks are replaced regularly. A major rehabilitation project in 2019 addressed significant deterioration in several components, giving the old bridge a new lease on life.

TransLink, Metro Vancouver's regional transportation authority, has owned the bridge since 1999, maintaining what is their oldest and narrowest bridge, one of the few in the region still containing wooden components. It carries a 50-ton load limit and serves between 500 and 1,000 vehicles per day, connecting approximately 200 residents to the mainland, along with visitors heading to the island's farms and the popular birding destination, George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary.

January 2026: History Repeats

When the tug Quadrant Partner struck the bridge on that Tuesday evening in January 2026, the community's response was swift. The City of Delta activated its emergency operations centre, and TransLink immediately closed the bridge to vehicles out of an abundance of caution. Pedestrian access is currently allowed, although the crossing can get slippery at times. But where does this leave our local farms like Cropthorne, Westham Island Herb Farm, and Emma Lea Farms? While many locals shop these farmstands for their fresh produce, they also supply BC produce to restaurants across the Lower Mainland.

Initially, officials hoped repairs might take just days. But by Thursday evening, a sobering update arrived: structural engineers had found more significant damage than originally believed. Splintered timbers. Misalignment. Damage that may require weeks, not days, to repair. Adding to the challenges, a leak was discovered in the watermain running beneath the bridge on Friday, prompting a precautionary boil water advisory for island residents. It was a stark reminder of how much infrastructure, visible and hidden, depends on this single crossing.

Delta Community Rallies

But this is Delta, and Deltans know how to pull together. TransLink immediately launched free accessible shuttle bus service running daily from 6 a.m. to midnight between the bridge and Ladner Exchange. The City of Delta secured barges to transport commercial and agricultural vehicles off the island. Farmers who depend on the bridge to get their produce to markets in Vancouver and restaurants, making the crossing multiple times a day with semi-trucks loaded with hay and seed potatoes, registered their urgent transport needs through a special hotline. It may not be a sustainable long-term solution, but it's an all-hands-on situation to sort it out, and fast.

Ian Cameron, whose family operates Mitchell Farms on Westham Island, spoke for many when he described the situation: "Our livelihood depends on getting across this bridge." Around a dozen farming families found themselves in similar predicaments, their farm-to-table businesses suddenly facing their biggest logistical challenge in decades.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada dispatched investigators. Engineers continued their detailed surveys. And residents waited, their patience a testament to the resilience that has defined Westham Island for more than a century.