Busy section of Vancouver's seawall closed indefinitely for public safety
The City of Vancouver is advising residents and visitors that a busy portion of the seawall will be closed indefinitely out of an “abundance of caution.”
Vancouver Seawall and Seaside Greenway Path users in the city’s False Creek area will have to detour due to the path between Creekside Community Centre and Science World being closed until further notice.
The closure comes after a recent structural assessment of the Expo Deck structure that supports the segment of the seawall pathway.
Condition of the Expo-era deck and piles next to Science World. (City of Vancouver)
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“The detours will remain in place until further notice while the City assesses the structure to determine next steps for these portions of the closed deck,” said the City of Vancouver in a release. “The City is also exploring alternative detour options closer to the existing paths.
“The City thanks the public for their patience during this closure and for their cooperation in using the detour paths.”
Pedestrians and cyclists will detour from Creekside via Ontario, Switchmen and Quebec streets to reconnect with the Seawall and Seaside Greenway paths north of Science World. Accessible detours will be located south of the science centre.
A small section of the north deck between Science World and the Creekside Park Playground is also closed indefinitely, and access to the dinghy dock south of Science World has been closed.
City of Vancouver
No detours are in place north of Science World, with access to the Seawall and Seaside Greenway path retained. There will also be an on-site attendant to support safe access to and from Science World from the south parking lot.
Two large deck areas immediately to the north and south of Science World are eyed for demolition later this decade by the City of Vancouver due to their age and condition.
These decks hovering over the water at the easternmost end of False Creek form a portion of the area’s public park area, including a small portion of Creekside Park, as well as the seawall’s pathways through the area.
Condition of the Expo-era deck and piles next to Science World. (City of Vancouver)
However, the decks were intended to be temporary with a five-year lifespan. They were built in 1984 as part of the temporary seawall decking that surrounded the Expo ’86 World’s Fair site. Currently, both deck areas next to Science World are amongst the last sections of temporary seawall decking that have yet to be demolished following the World’s Fair.
“In 2024, the City engaged a consultant to provide recommendations on the next steps for the structures, including all necessary modifications and removals, as well as rerouting of the existing pedestrian and cyclist transportation network impacted by the deconstruction work,” added the City of Vancouver in a statement. “The planning work for deconstruction is underway, with the on-site work planned for 2028 to 2032.
“In the meantime, the City will continue to inspect and monitor the structures to ensure public safety.”
With files from Kenneth Chan