New Holdom Avenue overpass in Burnaby's Brentwood area set to open in Spring 2027
A new four-lane overpass crossing the railway tracks at Brentwood's eastern edge will open to traffic in Spring 2027, closing the nearby Douglas Road level crossing and redesignating truck routes through the area.
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A new four-lane overpass over the CN rail corridor in Burnaby's Brentwood district will open to vehicle traffic in Spring 2027, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority told Daily Hive on November 2, 2026. Full construction will finish in Fall 2027. When the overpass opens, the Douglas Road level crossing will close to all vehicles and pedestrians.
The overpass extends Holdom Avenue south across the railway tracks and Still Creek to connect with Douglas Road, at the eastern end of the Brentwood neighbourhood. Construction started in December 2024, the port authority said it was more than halfway complete in August 2026, and the opening to traffic is now set for Spring 2027. The City of Burnaby will own and maintain the overpass once the work is done.
What the overpass changes
The Douglas Road crossing today is a level crossing: vehicles wait for trains to pass. Daily Hive reported that freight trains on this corridor have grown in length over recent decades. The overpass gives drivers a crossing that never waits for a train.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said the project is expected to reduce congestion and idling, make travel times through the area more predictable, and allow emergency vehicles through without delay.
There will also be intersection changes at the overpass ends, and Daily Hive reported that Goring Street will extend to Kingsland Drive as part of the same construction.
Truck routes will shift
The overpass also means a formal change to how trucks move through that part of Burnaby.
In June 2026, TransLink's board of directors approved removing the formal truck route designation from Douglas Road between Norland Avenue and Lougheed Highway. That decision is conditional: the removal only takes effect once the Holdom Avenue corridor is formally designated as a truck route, which happens when the overpass is complete.
That means trucks that now travel Douglas Road across the tracks will switch to Holdom Avenue once the overpass opens in Spring 2027.
The rail freight connection
The overpass sits next to the southern entrance of the Thornton Tunnel, a three-kilometre tunnel under Burnaby. The tunnel's northern end connects to the Second Narrows Rail Bridge, which Daily Hive described as the only rail connection for transporting goods to and from the port terminals on the North Shore of Burrard Inlet.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said the railway corridor between the North Shore and Brentwood carries over 40 million metric tonnes of export cargo, which it said accounted for over 40 per cent of the port's total international exports in 2023. The port authority said the overpass is expected to increase trade capacity by about 15 per cent at its North Shore terminals.
The CN railway completed its own work in the same corridor in 2022, including improvements to the Thornton Tunnel's ventilation and an additional track between Willingdon Avenue and Piper Avenue. That rail work and the overpass are separate projects under the broader Burnaby Rail Corridor Improvements Project.
Who built it and who will own it
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority spearheaded the project and is overseeing construction. The builder is Aecon-Gateway Infrastructure Group Partnership.
Daily Hive reported the total cost at about $200 million, funded jointly by the federal government, the port authority and CN. Daily Hive did not give the breakdown of each party's share.
Once construction is complete, the City of Burnaby will own and maintain the overpass.
The project recently received Envision Platinum, the highest sustainability rating from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. Daily Hive reported that measures behind the rating include replacing invasive plants with native vegetation, creating roosting structures for bats, protecting waterways, and improving walking and cycling connections. The construction team has also aimed to keep waste out of landfills: Aecon told Daily Hive that about 84 per cent of the project's construction waste has been diverted.
What comes next and what residents can do
The city's new council holds its inaugural meeting on November 10, 2026, at Burnaby City Hall. No council vote on this overpass is pending: the design and funding were already in place before the election. The Council that takes office on November 10 will oversee the period when the overpass opens and when the City assumes ownership of the structure.
Residents who drive through the Brentwood area or use Douglas Road across the tracks can expect the crossing to close when the overpass opens in Spring 2027. TransLink will update the truck route designation at that time. The full construction finish, including final landscaping and connections, is scheduled for Fall 2027.
New public spaces with First Nations art will also be part of the finished project, the port authority said through Daily Hive. Those spaces are part of the Fall 2027 completion, not the Spring 2027 vehicle opening.
Updates on construction progress appear on the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority's website at portvancouver.com.
Questions this story answers
When will the Holdom Avenue overpass open?
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority told Daily Hive that the overpass is on track to open to vehicle traffic in Spring 2027. All remaining aspects of construction are scheduled to finish in Fall 2027. Construction started in December 2024.
Where exactly is the overpass?
The overpass crosses the CN rail corridor and Still Creek at the eastern edge of Burnaby's Brentwood district, connecting Holdom Avenue south to Douglas Road. There will also be intersection changes and an extension of Goring Street to Kingsland Drive, according to Daily Hive.
What happens to the Douglas Road railway crossing?
The Douglas Road level crossing will close to all users once the overpass opens in Spring 2027. Drivers and trucks currently crossing the tracks at Douglas Road will use the new overpass on Holdom Avenue instead. There will be no alternative at that location: the closure is permanent.
How many lanes does the overpass have?
The overpass carries four vehicle lanes: two in each direction. It is a fully grade-separated crossing, meaning vehicles will not need to stop for passing trains. The overpass also improves access for cyclists and pedestrians, with new walking and cycling connections, according to Daily Hive.
What will change for trucks driving through that part of Burnaby?
In June 2026, TransLink's board approved removing the formal truck route from Douglas Road between Norland Avenue and Lougheed Highway, once the Holdom Avenue corridor is designated as a truck route when the overpass is complete. This means trucks that use Douglas Road today will switch to Holdom Avenue. The change requires the overpass to open first.
Who is paying for the overpass?
The total project cost is about $200 million, according to Daily Hive, funded jointly by the federal government, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and CN. Daily Hive did not publish the breakdown of each party's share. The port authority is overseeing construction.
Who will own and maintain the overpass once it is done?
The City of Burnaby will own and maintain the overpass once construction is complete, according to Daily Hive. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority spearheaded the project and is overseeing construction. The builder is the Aecon-Gateway Infrastructure Group Partnership. No future maintenance funding has been announced publicly.
Why was this overpass built?
The overpass eliminates the need for vehicles to wait for trains at the Douglas Road level crossing, where freight trains have grown in length over recent decades. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says it expects the new crossing to reduce congestion, improve travel time, improve safety and allow emergency vehicles through without delay. The port authority says it will increase trade capacity by about 15 per cent at its North Shore terminals.
What is the City of Burnaby doing about this project?
The City of Burnaby's new council holds its inaugural meeting on November 10, 2026. The overpass was built by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, and the City will take ownership once it is done. No council vote on this project is pending: the design and funding were already in place.
How does this affect SkyTrain or bus service?
The overpass project does not directly change SkyTrain or bus routes. The Expo and Millennium SkyTrain lines run on a separate corridor. The main change is for vehicles and trucks at the Douglas Road crossing, which will close when the overpass opens.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Daily Hive: New four-lane Holdom Avenue overpass in Burnaby to open in Spring 2027dailyhive.com
- Vancouver Fraser Port Authority: Projects overview including road and railportvancouver.com
- City of Burnaby council meetings, November 2026pub-burnaby.escribemeetings.com
- City of Burnaby: Declaration of Official Election Results, October 21, 2026burnaby.ca
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