Port Moody residents and visitors will have to do without the views of Burrard Inlet from the boardwalk that crosses the mudflats at its eastern end for several months.
The wooden boardwalk, that’s more than 30 years old, will be closed beginning Monday, Dec. 11, so it can be replaced with one that is higher and wider.
The work will be done in two phases, with the first scheduled to be completed next spring and the second phase, that’s expected to include a new viewing platform, commencing in the summer once funding has been obtained.
The $3-million project was approved by council last May after the boardwalk was damaged by king tides in December 2022. It had to be closed until a temporary structure could be erected in the late summer.
The new, higher boardwalk will keep it out of the water when tides run high and it will also even out travel as several sections with steps will be eliminated. Its greater width will also improve accessibility.
As well, handrails along the length of the boardwalk will make it safer.
The new structure follows the same footprint as the old boardwalk, minimizing its impact on environmentally sensitive areas.
"Careful consideration has been given to developing a boardwalk design that captures the feel of this natural location and the current ambience of this popular area," said a statement from the city.
The new viewing platform will be constructed around the fifth of five First Nations welcome posts carved by artists from the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam, Katzie and Squamish Nations that comprise Port Moody’s In the Presence of Ancestors project.
Planning for the replacement was done in consultation with First Nations groups, the Port Moody Historical Society and various environmental organizations like the Port Moody Ecological Society, Burrard Inlet Marine Enhancement Society, Burke Mountain Naturalists and Trails BC.
Monday’s closure affects the section of boardwalk that runs from Murray Street to Suter Brook Creek.
On Dec. 22, the rest of the boardwalk to Noons Creek will also be closed as visitors will then be able to detour using the new, paved multi-use pathway that connects Old Orchard Park and Murray Street that is in the final stages of construction.
The city has maps of the closures and more information about its boardwalk replacement project on its website.
