BC Ferries to proceed with big overhaul of Horseshoe Bay terminal | Daily Hive

BC Ferries to proceed with major overhaul of Horseshoe Bay terminal

BC Ferries' Horseshoe Bay terminal. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

BC Ferries has announced that a major overhaul of the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal in West Vancouver will go ahead.

This will be a very extensive retrofit of the aging terminal, which is now over six decades old.

The project will focus on upgrading the terminal’s critical facilities and infrastructure, including upgrading or replacing all three berths, relocating the control tower, upgrading aging elevated structures, and improving seismic performance and operational efficiency. Existing structures will be improved and new structures will be built.

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The ferry corporation has noted that planning is already underway on some of the project components, specifically the control tower relocation and elevated structures.

BC Ferries conducted public consultations on the project in 2019, but further progress was delayed due to the pandemic.

They have now indicated that work on this project will be undertaken “over the next few years” at an unspecified construction cost in the “hundreds of millions of dollars.”

There will be changes to the terminal’s access as early as Fall 2025.

BC Ferries’ Horseshoe Bay Terminal in West Vancouver. (Nalidsa/Shutterstock)

BC Ferries’ Horseshoe Bay Terminal in West Vancouver. (EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock)

“Horseshoe Bay is one of our oldest and busiest terminals and, like many similar infrastructure projects from that era, many of its components are due to be replaced or upgraded,” said Stephen Jones, vice president of engineering for BC Ferries, in a statement.

“This extensive work is another example of the growing number of significant capital investments necessary to keep our terminals and vessels in their best working condition to ensure they operate safely, reliably and efficiently as we keep millions of customers moving each year.”

BC Ferries has yet to reveal the precise final design of the terminal overhaul, but it is stated that the upgrades will streamline vehicle traffic flow and loading, and increase berth flexibility — enabling the terminal to accommodate more types of the vessels and operate more efficiently within the existing site constraints.

The upgraded terminal design will also better accommodate BC Ferries’ future new major vessels fleet, with the first five ships entering service between 2029 and 2031.

In 2019, BC Ferries’ preliminary project concept at the time envisioned two phases of work, including a new passenger terminal building, a wide range of amenities, and ground transportation/public transit infrastructure, as well as the aforementioned overhauls to the berths, elevated structures, and vehicle access.

Horseshoe Bay is BC Ferries’ third largest terminal, just after Tsawwassen ferry terminal and Swartz Bay ferry terminal, which is also set for upgrades. About 10 ferry terminals are eyed for various types of improvements.

Previous 2019 concept: Phase 2 upgrade for BC Ferries’ Horseshoe Bay terminal. (BC Ferries)

Previous 2019 concept: Phase 1 upgrade for BC Ferries’ Horseshoe Bay terminal. (BC Ferries)

Previous 2019 concept: Phase 2 upgrade for BC Ferries’ Horseshoe Bay terminal. (BC Ferries)

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