RDN directors selected the most affordable of eleven construction tenders to provide a new bridge at Little Qualicum River Regional Park. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

vital link

New bridge north of Qualicum Beach to serve recreators, emergency responders

Jun 23, 2020 | 5:20 PM

NANAIMO —A tender awarded to install a bridge to span Little Qualicum River will benefit recreators, the environment and provide a vital link for emergency responders.

Regional District of Nanaimo board members approved a $469,000 contract on Tuesday, June 23 for the concrete and steel bridge bordering the meadowood subdivision.

The RDN expects what will be the only bridge in Little Qualicum River Regional Park (LQRRP) will open by mid November.

Tom Osbourne, the RDN’s general manager of recreation and parks, told the virtually conducted regular board meeting the new span will help a wide range of users.

“It does play in regards to connecting an emergency use and re-connecting one side of the community to the other side that was lost when the bridge was removed,” Osbourne said.

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In 2017 the damaged bridge in LQRRP was removed after the RDN board decided it made more sense to have a new link installed as opposed to investing in deteriorated infrastructure.

The bridge had been closed off for public use since 2014.

Common vehicular traffic will not be accommodated on the single-lane bridge in the densely forested park, according to an RDN staff report.

An estimated 2,000 residents live in the nearby Meadowood subdivision on the north side of Little Qualicum River, who will benefit from fast access to Whiskey Creek via Hwy. 4 during emergencies.

Director Leanne Salter, who represents the local Meadowood, Whiskey Creek area, said the new bridge will help address harm inflicted to the river by recreators crossing in the absence of a formal link.

“It’s being badly damaged as a result of the traffic of the ATV’s and so on that are going through it, so it’s impacting the salmon stream,” Salter said.

LQRRP is a 108 acre riparian corridor directly beneath popular Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com
On Twitter: @reporterholmesNew