The first phase of Port Moody’s new boardwalk that crosses the eastern end of Burrard Inlet at Pigeon Cove is open.
But visitors can’t yet traverse the full distance between the city’s north and south shores.
The 440-metre long structure between the Shoreline Trail on Murray Street and Suter Brook Creek will allow visitors to enjoy expansive views of in the Inlet, its mudflats and the mountains beyond.
The second phase of the project to extend the new boardwalk to a bridge at Noons Creek and then a gravel trail to the northern leg of Shoreline Trail as it passes by Trasolini Field to Old Orchard Park is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025.
There will also be a new viewing platform that incorporates a house post from Katzie First Nation, one of five from various First Nations that will eventually comprise the city’s Presence of Ancestors project from Rocky Point Park to Old Orchard.
The new boardwalk replaces the original structure that was constructed more than 30 years ago. It was damaged during a king tide in December 2020, and a subsequent engineering assessment determined it was no longer safe.
After a closure of several months until a temporary crossing could be installed, council approved a budget of $3.15 million to construct the first phase of the boardwalk’s replacement.
But installation of the new boardwalk, that is wider and higher than the original and now includes railings to make it more accessible for all users as well as better able to withstand storms and rising sea levels, proved more costly than originally anticipated.
Soft soil conditions necessitated longer, more robust support piles. Its budget increased $800,000 to $3.95 million.
In July, council approved the further expenditure of $6.2 million for construction of the boardwalk’s second phase. It will be funded from development contribution-related reserves as well as a grant from the B.C. government’s Growing Communities Fund.
“We are investing in the Shoreline Trail boardwalk so that this landmark structure and community asset is reliable and inclusive for all residents and visitors to enjoy safely for many years to come,” said Mayor Meghan Lahti at the time.
The viewing platform will cost an additional $800,000.
