Landslide fear closes road into Lynn Headwaters park
The sudden closure of the access road into Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in North Vancouver has caught area residents and park users off guard.
Clive Brewer who lives on Dempsey Road said people who want to hike in the popular park are looking for parking along nearby residential streets, creating problems for local homeowners. “Parking, it is a big issue,” he said. Brewer said the Upper Lynn Valley recreational area is extremely busy in the summertime and if the road remains closed for an extended period it will have a major effect on the neighbourhood.
“It is going to be a nightmare,” he said of the parking.
The road into Lynn Headwaters has been deteriorating for the past few years and Brewer said it may need a lot of work. “We are thinking it is going to be a huge job,” he said of the repairs ahead to make the road safe.
“We have not heard what condition the road is in,” he said. “We are trying to find out information — maybe they are still assessing the damage.”
The 700-metre-long Lynn Headwaters Access Road, which serves as the driveway into Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, was closed to vehicles on Thursday.
The District of North Vancouver said in an information bulletin that the decision was “in the interest of public safety.”
Hikers and cyclists can still use the road.
The road cuts through some steeply sloped terrain and had has deteriorated to the point it may at risk of a landslide.
“The District is working with Metro Vancouver on a long-term solution since regular maintenance is no longer sufficient to keep the road in safe operating condition,” the District indicated in the bulletin. “Major mitigation work is needed to stabilize the slope below the road and immediate closure is necessary until a long-term plan to fix the road can be identified.”
At the End Of The Line General Store on Lynn Valley Road, store owner Jamie Fay said people are not happy with the road closure.
“The neighbours are upset,” he said. “People are saying the problem should have been taken care of years ago.”