New pedestrian and cyclist bridge above railway proposed for Brentwood | Daily Hive

New pedestrian and cyclist bridge above railway proposed for Brentwood in Burnaby

Brentwood's high-density developments, situated north of CN's trunk railway and the entrance into the Thornton Tunnel railway branch to the North Shore. (City of Burnaby)

The City of Burnaby is considering five possible sites for a north-south pedestrian and cyclist overpass spanning Canadian National’s (CN) active east-west railway through the Brentwood district.

The potential crossing locations are at Madison Avenue, Alaska Street, Willingdon Avenue, Beta Avenue, and Douglas Road, which were originally outlined in the Brentwood Town Centre Development Plan and later incorporated into the City’s broader transportation planning for walking and cycling.

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Brentwood is seeing high-density, transit-oriented residential and commercial development north of the railway tracks, while areas south of the tracks are primarily industrial and business parks, with a major Costco Warehouse store also in the immediate vicinity. The busy railway reduces the area’s overall connectivity for the area’s growing number of pedestrians.

The project’s preliminary planning is being done in two steps. Right now, the municipal government is in the first step, where City staff are looking at what each of the five locations is like today, what challenges might come up, and what opportunities each site offers. This work will help figure out how well each option could fit into the overall walking and cycling network.

brentwood burnaby pedestrian cyclist railway overpass

Brentwood pedestrian and cyclist overpass above railway; site option 1: Madison Avenue. (City of Burnaby)

Brentwood pedestrian and cyclist overpass above railway; site option 2: Alaska Street. (City of Burnaby)

Brentwood pedestrian and cyclist overpass above railway; site option 3: Willingdon Avenue. (City of Burnaby)

This trunk east-west railway running through Brentwood also has a branch line that leads into the 3.2-km-long, north-south Thornton Tunnel deep beneath North Burnaby neighbourhoods, before continuing to the Second Narrows Rail Bridge and the North Shore. The second site option of Alaska Street could potentially span both the branch and main lines of the railway.

Such an overpass within the western area of Brentwood could provide a safe, closer, and more convenient north-south alternative to using the narrow pedestrian sidewalks on the Willingdon Avenue overpass to the east or the Gilmore Avenue at-grade crossing to the west. These existing options are roughly 750 metres apart.

The potential Willingdon Avenue site identified by the City could possibly be achieved as a widening of the existing pedestrian pathways on the sides of the road overpass.

Brentwood pedestrian and cyclist overpass above railway; site option 4: Beta Avenue. (City of Burnaby)

Brentwood pedestrian and cyclist overpass above railway; site option 5: Douglas Road. (City of Burnaby)

Madison Avenue is the westernmost option for the overpass, while Douglas Road is the easternmost option. Upon the opening of the new Holdom Avenue road and active transportation overpass, which is currently under construction and located just east of Douglas Road, the Douglas Road at-grade crossing for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists will permanently close.

An online survey for the current public consultation for determining the feasibility and tradeoffs of each of the five sites is currently open through Feb. 4, 2026.

brentwood burnaby pedestrian cyclist bridge location options map

Map of the five potential sites for a north-south pedestrian and cyclist bridge spanning CN’s east-west freight railway in Brentwood. (City of Burnaby)

thornton tunnel entrance burnaby brentwood

The south entrance of the Thornton Tunnel in Brentwood. (Kenneth Chan)

The second step is planned for mid- to late-2026. At that time, the City will share what it learned in the first phase and present early design ideas. Another round of public consultation will be held then.

The intention is to reach the draft design process for the project in mid-2026 to 2027. No potential construction start date has been established at this early stage of planning, which also depends on construction funding.

The municipal government previously went through a similar process for considering where precisely to build a north-south pedestrian and cycling overpass above Highway 1 to link the trails of Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake. After the location and design was finalized, construction on the $25-million bridge first began in early 2024, and the project reached the major milestone of lifting the pre-fabricated bridge structure into place overnight in November 2025. It is set to reach completion and open in early 2026.

burnaby lake deer lake highway 1 overpass bridge construction november 9 2025

Lifting and installation of the new Highway 1 pedestrian and cyclist overpass bridge between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake on Nov. 9, 2025. (City of Burnaby)

Artistic rendering of the pedestrian and cyclist overpass design across Highway 1 between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake. (City of Burnaby)

highway 1 burnaby lake deer lake option 1 bridge

Artistic rendering of the pedestrian and cyclist overpass design across Highway 1 between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake. (City of Burnaby)

Further to the east along the CN railway corridor, there is also construction progress on the new Holdom Avenue road overpass, which will replace the nearby Douglas Road at-grade crossing and effectively improve safety and reliability. This will be a brand new overpass with four vehicle lanes — two in each direction — and protected wide bike lanes on both roadway directions, and a dedicated pedestrian pathway.

The bridge deck will also feature designated “lookout” areas for views of Still Creek and the surrounding area. Through the overpass, there will be improved active transportation connections between SkyTrain Millennium Line’s Holdom Station just north of the overpass and the Central Valley Greenway pathway just south of the overpass.

Construction on the $200-million Holdom Avenue overpass first began in December 2024, and it is expected to reach completion in 2027. As of late 2025, the project has reached a 40 per cent completion stage, according to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

The Holdom Avenue overpass project is jointly funded by the port authority, the federal government, and CN.

holdom avenue overpass construction august 2025

August 2025 construction progress on the Holdom Avenue road overpass. (Vancouver Fraser Port Authority)

Artistic rendering of the Holdom Avenue road overpass in Burnaby. (Port of Vancouver)

Artistic rendering of the Holdom Avenue road overpass in Burnaby. (Port of Vancouver)

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