Accessing the aging trestle bridge is a 'no-go' as the link undergoes repairs. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

access issues

Vital south Nanaimo waterfront road access expected to re-open soon

Jun 12, 2025 | 5:30 AM

NANAIMO — Patching up a critically essential, albeit woefully outdated secondary access to the city’s assembly wharf lands is expected to wrap up shortly.

Closed since Friday, June 6, the City of Nanaimo anticipates the ancient trestle bridge extending from the end of Crace St. will re-open early next week.

“It’s a necessary piece of infrastructure. It is old and it requires a lot of TLC to keep it providing service to the community,” said David Thompson, manager of roads and traffic services for the City of Nanaimo.

As decrepit as the 60 to 80-year-old structure appears, it’s the only unobstructed access to the south waterfront area, home to several key services on Port Authority property, including the Hullo ferry, HeliJet and cruise ship terminal.

Barricades are blocking all road users from accessing the trestle bridge connecting downtown Nanaimo to the south waterfront/port authority area (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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“Being so close to the ocean and the salt water and salt air, it takes a bit of a beating. We pay very close attention to it and that’s why we’ve closed it to make sure we get that work done,” Thompson said, who noted access on the trestle bridge is shut off to all road users for now.

Ongoing work on the wooden, steel and concrete trestle bridge will widen the ramp from one to two lanes, Thompson confirmed.

The primary access route into the south waterfront area off Front St. opened in 2019, however it periodically closes “once or twice a week”, according to Thompson, to allow for railway containers to be unloaded and transported to the Lower Mainland.

A City staff report last year indicated a new secondary route into the property is required to provide uninterrupted access into the assembly wharf lands.

However, no firm plan exists or has been budgeted.

Extending Farquar St. has been probed by the City, which estimated last year doing so would cost upwards of $15 million, but the idea has been shelved as capital costs soar on multiple fronts.

“We’re taking a step back and seeing if we can make some modifications to the existing access so that it can provide access to the port authority and port lands for the foreseeable future,” Thompson said.

He stated the the existing rail right-of-way “adds a whole series of complexities” to improving the south waterfront area.

The City of Nanaimo acquired the nearly 27-acre 1 Port Dr. site in 2013, which includes 10-acres of developable land.

A long-range vision anticipates transforming portions of the barren site into a mix use development of housing, and commercial/public space on vacant land immediately south of Port Place Shopping Centre.

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