43rd Street Bridge Rehabilitation

When Chapman Industries called us in for the 43rd Street Bridge Rehabilitation, we knew it was going to be an exciting challenge. Cabin was brought on board to handle all things environmental and restoration, including sediment and erosion control, setting up silt fences, and creek preparation.

We partnered with Gordon Crystal to design and implement the temporary creek diversion system and we used water bladders and temporary dams to divert Vernon Creek around the work zone as well as maintained the dams throughout the duration of the project. We also removed large trees to make room for the bridge installation.

All in, we restored 220m of Vernon Creek.

Project Highlights included:

• Contouring the streambed and adding two types of spawning gravels (Type A and Type B) to keep the fish happy.
• Live staking 38 sauna tubes with over 144 willow stakes to strengthen the riprap areas.
• Hydroseeding over 1,000 square meters to bring lush greenery back.
• Installing 180 meters of split rail fencing to protect the restored areas.
• Planting more than 250 trees and shrubs to balance out the removals and improve habitat.

Challenges and Solutions
Every project has its curveballs, and this one was no different. A major storm hit, triggering a debris flow that overwhelmed one of our downstream water bladders, flooding the site. But our team jumped into action and with an all-hands-on-deck approach, we worked through the weekend to re-establish the aquadam system, pump out the site, and complete an emergency fish salvage—keeping the project moving without a hitch for Chapman.

Through teamwork, quick thinking, and a passion for environmental excellence, Cabin turned this project into a win for both infrastructure and nature. The 43rd Street Bridge now stands strong and Vernon Creek is thriving!