Downtown New Westminster’s riverfront is set to see some big changes from a new major redevelopment that will help produce a new pedestrian bridge over the railway tracks that reach a significantly expanded Westminster Pier Park.

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Construction is well underway on the new overpass, which begins at the Front Street Parkade at Sixth Street to reach the western entrance of the park.

The bridge, complete with both stairs and an accessible ramp on the park end, is being built and partially funded by Bosa Development as one of the key public amenity contributions from the developer’s nearby Pier West development project at 660 Quayside Drive, located west of the park and overpass site. The City of New Westminster is also providing $1.9 million in funding to help realize the accessible ramp elements.

This new crossing over the railway will supplement the existing overpass at Fourth Street.

“The planning of the downtown waterfront, as part of the comprehensive Riverfront Vision, identifies the need for an accessible pedestrian connection across the railway corridor along the Sixth Street alignment,” reads a recent city staff report.

Design features for the bridge include viewing platforms of the Fraser River and park activities, and recreational space between the two lengths of ramp.

“The overall objective of the project is to provide an environment that promotes walking, cycling, playing, recreating, gathering, and social interaction,” continues the report.

The three-metre-wide overpass structure will be manufactured and assembled off-site before being delivered as a complete unit for final installation. Mobile cranes will be used to erect the overpass over the rail tracks. A small portion of the western area of the park has been closed to allow for construction.

A children’s playground will be installed below the bridge’s ramp on the park end, after the overpass reaches completion in fall 2019.

2-acre westward expansion of Westminster Pier Park

Additionally, further improvements to the waterfront can be expected from a planned two-acre westward expansion of Westminster Pier Park that will bring the park’s western edge right up to the Pier West development site and increase the park’s footprint to a total of 11 acres.

Early concepts for this event-friendly park expansion, which is being implemented as another partnership with Bosa, include a new meadow garden, gathering spaces, promenades, seating areas, open lawn spaces, various forms of lighting, public art, and a central plaza with water feature. City council is scheduled to finalize the design concept this summer.

Some of Metro Vancouver’s tallest towers

The Pier West mixed-use redevelopment, approved in 2017, entails the construction of two towers — 581 ft (53 storeys) and 469 ft (43 storeys) — that will rival the heights of some of the tallest towers in downtown Vancouver.

Designed by Amanat Architect, there will be 665 homes, including 156 one-bedroom units, 441 two-bedroom units, and 68 three-bedroom units.

A restaurant is planned for the base of the tallest tower, while a three-storey commercial building on the western end of the development site will contain retail space and a 40-space childcare facility.

There will be 929 vehicle parking stalls spread across three underground levels, including 777 stalls for residents and 80 stalls for public parking.

Public spaces will extend onto the the development site from the Westminster Pier Park extension, including a nine-metre wide riverfront esplanade.

Pier West is also under construction and slated for a late-2022 completion.

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