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Kinsol Trestle, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
I decided to visit the Kinsol Trestle again to get an idea where the whole restoration project is headed. For those not familiar with the Kinsol Trestle, the trestle was completed in 1920, its dimensions measuring 38m (125 ft) high and 188m (614 ft) long, making it the largest wooden trestle in the Commonwealth of Nations and one of the highest railway trestles in the world. The last train past over the Kinsol Trestle in 1979 and in recent years the trestle has fallen into disrepair and has even been burned at some stage.
The Kinsol Trestle is very impressive both from the air and from the Koksilah River below. As part of the Trans Canada Trail, the trestle is an important link for cyclists and hikers making their way from Victoria to Cowichan Lake. Of course there is controversy about whether the trestle should be restored or whether a less expensive suspension bridge should be erected to cross this span of river. After years of study a decision has been made to restore the Kinsol Trestle. While many will applaud this decision, the actual restoration will be a huge undertaking.
So far about 4.1 million dollars has been raised with additional funding to be raised from local communities by The Cowichan Foundation. The forest around the trestle has now been cleared. I expect this was done to make restoration easier but to me this has taken away one of the real charms that this span had, cutting tightly through the forest that it loomed over. The hope is to have the Kinsol Trestle passable again for 2010. I’m looking forward to that but there’s a huge amount of work to do as these images show.
For more information or to help out visit the Kinsol Trestle web site.
Aerial view of the Kinsol Trestle, Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, Canada.
Large Timbers on the Kinsol Trestle, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
OMG, this bridge scares the heck out of me. I’m not a big fan of bridges that look unsafe, and this one looks like it could fall down any second.
I look forward to your updates…………….:)
BTW, your photos are great, as usual.
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I tend not to get freaked when on bridges of this sort but after looking at the structure on the Kinsol Trestle I was wondering if anyone in their right mind would stand on it. I’m going to return a few times during the summer and see how the restoration is proceeding. I really can’t fathom how much work needs to be done!
I crossed this bridge many times as a child,and consider it to be one of the secrets of Shawnigan Lake. The trail is used daily by many cyclists,hikers,and equestrians who all wish to continue across the river canyon ,and fully enjoy a trail which at the moment has limited use. The bypass route has a gate allowing only hikers to participate in the beauty of the area.The trestle is immensely high and is one of the true wonders of the age of steam,logging, and of the railway’s importance in Canada. Men who built these structures knew of no obstacles. Hurray CVRD for recognizing the grand Kinsol Trestle