A portion of Vancouver’s seawall that has been closed “indefinitely” since February will be partially reopening in time for summer, city officials announced Friday.
The Expo Deck – so named because it was built for Expo ‘86 and technically intended to be temporary – closed to the public earlier this year after a structural assessment.
Construction has now begun on a compacted gravel path between Creekside Community Centre and Science World, which will allow seawall and Seaside Greenway path users to be closer to False Creek south of Science World.
The new path is expected to open in late May, the city said.
Currently, seawall users must take a detour along Ontario, Switchmen and Quebec streets.
While the new path means the reopening of a portion of the Expo Deck, a section closer to the water “is expected to remain closed to the public indefinitely,” according to the city.
“Recent findings from regular ongoing inspections of the aging deck confirmed that portions of the structure are reaching end of life and may no longer be safe for public access,” the city’s announcement reads.
The city said a gravel path similar to the one that takes the seawall through Vanier Park was the best choice for “quickly and safely” constructing a new route.
“Two new, wide, comfortable and separated side-by-side paths will be built for pedestrians and cyclists,” the city said. “The new route will seamlessly connect users from the seawall and Seaside Greenway at Ontario Street to the seawall and Seaside Greenway paths in front of Science World.”
