The new Holt Creek bridge on the Cowichan Valley Trail opens to walkers, cyclists and horse riders on Saturday, June 21.
The 74 metre steel frame bridge with a wooden deck replaces the old railway trestle over Holt Creek, which opened in 1922, but was determined to be near the end of its lifespan in 2017 and closed in the summer of 2024.
The bridge has been renamed Q’ixluts (pronounced KH-ee-r-hluhts), the original Hul’qumi’num name for Holt Creek.
The name refers to the black colour of the shale beneath the bridge and was chosen in partnership with Cowichan Tribes to recognize the cultural and historical significance of the area, and honour Indigenous language and heritage along the trail.
The new bridge was constructed to be strong enough for emergency response vehicles and maintenance equipment to use.
It’s located on the Cowichan Valley Trail between Duncan and Lake Cowichan, just west of Glenora Trails Head Park.
