Contractors have begun demolition of the historic Holt Creek Trestle near Glenora Trails Head Park.

In a statement to sixmountains.ca, the Ministry of Transportation said: “Work on the Holt Creek Bridge Replacement is now underway. Initial site preparation was completed by the Cowichan Tribes-owned Khowutzun Development Corporation in the fall of 2024.

“A construction contract has been awarded to Formula Contractors Ltd. for $4.5M. Formula has begun decommissioning the existing trestle and is targeting completion in Spring 2025.”

The timber trestle will be replaced by a single-span steel structure.

Despite hundreds of citizens posting support for the trestle on-line, no politicians at any level stepped up and sought to stop or even delay the demolition pending more public information.

The Cowichan Valley Trail is closed in both directions, with initial demolition beginning on the west side of the trestle.

The ministry says the trestle opened in 1922 and served as a rail line until 1991 when CN Rail handed the line over to the province. The structure sits 34 metres above Holt Creek and spans 73 metres.

More reading: https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/be000cdd-2886-4ef6-a086-c465f8b33169

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— Larry Pynn, Dec. 4, 2024