Drivers reminded of traffic delays due to Stanley Park lane closures this weekend

B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation is reminding drivers of lane closures on the Stanley Park Causeway this weekend as the Vancouver Park Board continues its tree-removal project. 

On Dec. 16 and 17, one of three lanes will be closed from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., while the remaining two lanes will be open for traffic going in each direction. 

Northbound pedestrians and cyclists can also expect to be detoured through Stanley Park to the west side of the causeway and bridge. 

Additional lane closures are anticipated in the new year on Jan. 13, 14, 21, 27 and 28. 

"While efforts are being made to keep impacts to a minimum, people should plan for delays and transit changes to and from the North Shore," said the ministry in a statement.

It adds drivers should consider using the Ironworkers Memorial bridge as an alternative during the delayed hours. 

WATCH | Why clearing trees in Stanley Park is important for public safety: park board

Closures ahead at Stanley Park with tree removal underway

12 months ago

Duration 2:05

It’s a massive job – cutting down as much as 25 per cent of trees at Stanley Park. Certain areas of the park will be closed on and off as work gets underway this weekend. Thousands of trees have been devastated by an infestation of the hemlock looper moth. Yasmin Gandham on why the park board says the clearing is necessary for public safety.

In recent weeks, the Vancouver Park Board began a multi-year project to remove thousands of dead and damaged trees in Stanley Park. 

According to its website, the area's trees have been damaged by an outbreak of hemlock looper, a moth known to "aggressively feed" on coastal conifers. 

In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for the City of Vancouver said 140,000 of the dead trees being removed pose a wildfire risk if left in place. 

Smaller felled trees will be chipped and used as mulch or green waste, while large trees will remain in the park as nurse logs — fallen trees that, as they decay, offer shade and support to seedlings and other plants — to support ecosystem regeneration. 

The spokesperson said they "also intend to work with the Host Nations on repurposing some of the western red cedar and Douglas fir logs."

CBC News has reached out to the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations for comment.