Friday February 13, 2026 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 12:21 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
This news was first published on January 27 (and updated February 3), 2026
Motor vehicle traffic eastbound on the Bay Street Bridge in Victoria will be unavailable 24/7 for about four months starting on Monday, February 17.
- Westbound traffic will remain open.
- Pedestrian and wheelchair access will be maintained at all times.
- Expect construction noise.
Construction is for the City of Victoria to undertake essential work on the Bay Street Bridge (Point Ellice Bridge) to preserve the bridge’s structural integrity, as announced by the city on January 26.
“We are committed to completing the work as quickly and efficiently as possible,” says Ross Kenny, Assistant Director of Transportation, City of Victoria.
Adapting to temperature changes & improving drainage:
The work includes replacing the bridge’s expansion joints to accommodate a wider range of temperature changes and upgrading the drainage system, which dates back to 1957.
“While the Point Ellice Bridge remains safe to travel on, these upgrades are essential to help ensure it continues to serve our community for decades to come,” says Kenny.
The Point Ellice Bridge was originally constructed in 1957 on the foundations of a bridge dating back to 1903. It received seismic upgrades in 2000–01 and additional surface improvements in 2019. The upcoming work builds on these efforts to maintain the bridge’s structural integrity and function.
No eastbound vehicle traffic:
To complete the upgrades, eastbound vehicle traffic (Victoria West towards downtown) across the bridge will be closed 24/7 for the duration of the project.
Detours with clear signage will guide eastbound traffic.
Likely most eastbound traffic will detour to using the Johnson Street Bridge (formerly known as the Blue Bridge due to its previous blue colour).
Eastbound cyclists can dismount and walk with pedestrians to cross eastbound.
Westbound remains open:
Westbound traffic, pedestrian and wheelchair access will remain open. Weekend and night work may be scheduled to help complete the project as quickly as possible.
The bridge will remain safe to travel on, says the City of Victoria but there will be construction noise.
Bus route 10:
Effective February 17, Route 10 buses travelling from James Bay to Royal Jubilee Hospital going northbound along Wharf Street will detour with a right on Johnson Street, left on Douglas Street, and a right on Bay Street where it will return to regular routing. This will result in the temporary closure of the following three Route 10 bus stops heading towards the hospital:
- Bay Street at Wilson Street
- Bay Street at Turner Street
- Bay Street at Rock Bay Avenue
The appropriate signage will be posted at the impacted bus stops to inform customers of this temporary service change. There are additional stops in Vic West that serve multiple routes that won’t be picking up Route 10 customers travelling towards the hospital during this detour, including:
- Esquimalt Road at Harbour Road
- Esquimalt Road at Tyee Road
- Esquimalt Road at Sitkum Road
There may also be minor delays during this period, and we appreciate the patience of our customers.
As the bridge work will only affect traffic in one direction, the Route 10 from Royal Jubilee Hospital towards James Bay will not be impacted during this closure. No other routes in the Victoria Regional Transit System will be directly impacted by this construction.
BC Transit encourages their customers to use the Umo app or any other app of their choice for real-time bus tracking. For more information about trip planning, schedules and to sign up for customer alerts, please visit bctransit.com/victoria/.
===== RELATED:
- Bay St Bridge eastbound closed for 4 months starting mid-February (January 27, 2026)
- NEWS SECTIONS: TRAFFIC | SOUTH VANCOUVER ISLAND | GREATER VICTORIA