This bridge carries the four-lane Vancouver Island Highway over Headquarters Creek, between Courtenay and Campbell River and has three spans of 34.5, 39.5 and 24.5 metres. As the creek is an important fish bearing stream, the centre span was selected so that the foundations are clear of the no disturbance zones on either side of the creek as specified by Department of Fisheries and Oceans. To resist the high 0.47g earthquake ground accelerations predicted for the site, the superstructure is built in at the two twin column bents with the columns designed to plastic hinge. At the abutments, the girders are supported on elastomeric base isolation bearings. To minimise dynamic seismic soil forces, the two abutments are buried spill-through type structures each with two buried column type supports. The abutment columns are pinned at the bottoms to accommodate earthquake soil displacements, with anchored settlement slabs propping the abutments. Girder designs with both standard prestressed concrete and welded steel I sections were carried out and tendered.

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