$20 million extension of North Shore's Spirit Trail reaching Deep Cove

The easternmost end of the Spirit Trail pathway for pedestrians and cyclists on the North Shore could finally be realized.

The District of North Vancouver is currently in the preliminary stages of identifying the potential route and design of the full eastward extension of the Spirit Trail, which currently ends on the west side of the Seymour River on Seymour Boulevard next to the area’s Superstore.

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Construction on the first segment of the eastern extension between Seymour River and Windridge Park will begin in late 2024 or early 2025 for a completion later in 2025, which includes a new protected bike lane along Windridge Drive.

Beyond 2025, the municipal government is contemplating various options to bring the Spirit Trail all the way to Deep Cove. This could take on both natural and built environments, such as new trails and bridges through forested areas and parks, improvements to existing trails, new bike lanes and sidewalks along arterial roadways, or connections through residential neighbourhoods.

Preliminary potential routing of the Spirit Trail’s eastward extension. (District of North Vancouver)

Potential types of configurations for the Spirit Trail’s eastward extension. (District of North Vancouver)

The remaining segment to reach Deep Cove will be built in multiple phases through late 2027.

The municipal government has set aside $20 million for the Spirit Trail’s eastward extension, including $2.9 million in 2024, $4.6 million in 2025, $6.3 million in 2026, and $5.9 million in 2027.

When fully built, the Spirit Trail will be a continuous, 35-km-long, west-east route for pedestrians and cyclists between Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver and Deep Cove, with the route generally following the North Shore’s shoreline — particularly within the Lonsdale area of North Vancouver and within West Vancouver.

Some of the most significantly recently completed improvements to the trail include last year’s opening of Bridgman Park Bridge — the new purpose-built, four-metre-wide Spirit Trail bridge over Lynn Creek.

Spirit Trail’s Bridgman Park Bridge over Lynn Creek. (District of North Vancouver)

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