Fraser River Foreshore – Reach 9 Dyke

The dyke, required to meet new flood protection guidelines, posed significant challenges. The most critical challenge was how to accommodate a trail network on a dyke that runs along a thin ribbon of riverfront between the foreshore and businesses. With the foreshore to be protected, there was no room for a traditional dyke with 3H:1V side slopes, while the initial concept of a structural floodwall could not easily accommodate the trail. Our design team, drawing upon their significant dyke design experience, went to work to determine a solution that would address all project constraints.

Through collaboration with stakeholders, the design team developed an innovative approach incorporating Lock‐Block walls to retain both sides of the dyke, reducing the dyke’s footprint significantly. This design addressed the most immediate concerns of maintaining foreshore and trail, as well as providing significant additional benefits.