West Vancouver to spend $180K rebuilding washed-out bridge on popular hike

The District of West Vancouver is rebuilding a bridge that was washed out two years ago on one of its popular mountain trails. 

The Brothers Creek Loop trail is a four-hour, seven-kilometre hike in the British Properties area of the North Shore. Two years ago, the bridge that crosses the trail's namesake creek was washed out in a winter storm. 

"We never found any any sign of it," said Donna Powers, the district's director of community relations and communications.

"The people that are hiking high up on the mountain like that are highly familiar with what a winter storm can do in our mountains." 

Helicoptered in by spring 2020

Powers says the district has been looking at its options since the bridge disappeared.

A recently issued request for proposals says vehicles can't access the area, which can only be reached by foot or ATV. 

The district wanted to avoid causing any potential damage, Powers says. So officials want the bridge to be built off-site by late fall and then helicoptered in by spring 2020. 

The budget for the project is about $180,000 — a cost Powers says is worth it. 

"We really are known for our trail network, and a lot of our residents do spend a lot of time on our trails," she said. "It's important to maintain that access to the outdoors for all kinds of health and recreation reasons." 

The trail sits among a network of hikes in the area, including the Baden Powell Trail, but hikers say they've been limited to keeping to lower portions of it instead of walking the full loop. 

Barry Rueger, owner of Four Legs Good! Canine Services, is one of dozens of North Shore dog walkers who use the trail daily. Rueger says the new bridge was "wonderful news."

"It's a beautiful long hike," he said. "It's one of the nicest hikes around."

The request for proposals says the bridge is a "key connection point" for many trails in the district's highly used Upper Lands. 

The deadline for inquiries regarding the request for proposals is noon on Sept. 3. Applications are due Sept. 10 at 2 p.m.