A new way to get downtown is on the horizon.
The District-owned bridge would link Downtown Squamish and the new Waterfront Landing Development at Victoria Street, stretching across the Mamquam Blind Channel.
It was proposed in 2017, and will need to be approved by council, the Navigational Protection Program of Transport Canada.
The crossing will be built by Waterfront Landing developer Bosa Properties, but will be owned, maintained and operated by the District of Squamish.
The bridge will lift to allow boats to pass underneath. Transport Canada is asking marine users for their comments on the bridge, as they could be impacted by the lift schedule.
On top of the schedule, the bridge can be lifted at any time by request but may take longer outside of the operating schedule. Between May and mid-September, the bridge operator will be on-site between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. with a 10-minute response time. After mid-September through April, the bridge tender will be available on-site between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. with a 30-minute response time.
There will be an on-site bridge tender to monitor the lifts and closures, which will be by pedestrian request. For the first year, the tender will be available on short notice, and will track all openings. After that, the operation of the bridge lift may be taken over by the District's public works via CCTV, depending on the use recorded during the initial year.
Boat operators will also have an air gauge to determine if the bridge needs to be lifted.
Comments can be made in an online survey available on the District's website until April 1.
Go here to take the survey.
