The in-ground stairs at the top of the Blueback Beach access point will be removed in exchange for an above-ground wooden staircase. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

Stair care

Section of Blueback Stairs to be replaced, beach access temporarily closed

Dec 3, 2019 | 8:42 AM

NANAIMO — Crews are busy replacing a portion of the stairs leading to the bottom of popular Blueback Beach in Nanaimo’s north end.

Al Britton, the City’s manager of parks operations, expected the stairs would be closed for roughly three weeks allowing crews to replace the stairs encased into the top half of the hill.

“The stairs are getting close to 30 years of age at the top end and it’s time to replace them,” Britton said.

He said the new staircase will be an above-ground structure with handrails which will flow seamlessly with stairs’ lower half.

“It’s much quicker to do it that way then dig into the ground. It’s also easier to maintain them long-term.”

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Britton said addressing the 100 stairs at the bottom of Blueback Rd. will cost roughly $30,000.

He said the popular infrastructure can see 200 people use them on a busy day, which are beloved by a wide range of users.

Meanwhile, the future of the long-closed beach access stairs a few blocks to the north remains unclear.

Britton said the hope is to restore the deteriorated stairs at the bottom of Seabold Rd. next spring, but it hinges on the project’s inclusion in next year’s budget.

The Seabold Rd. stairs have been closed for well over a year.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes