Delta business group asks province to delay overpass repairs
Posted November 9, 2023 12:12 pm.
The Delta Chamber of Commerce is asking the provincial government not to move ahead with planned repairs of an overpass before the holidays.
The business group says the work on the Highway 17A overpass on Highway 99, south of the Massey Tunnel, will create bigger delays at an already-busy time.
It says it fears the work could hurt businesses in Ladner, Tilbury, and surrounding areas hoping to score big in the lead-in to the holidays.
The overpass was damaged on July 18, when an over-height vehicle struck the underpass, ripping up steel, concrete, and wiring as it went.
The repairs were supposed to begin Thursday evening, but Delta Chamber Board Chair Rosanne Horner released a statement Thursday morning asking the Ministry of Transportation and Highways to push the start date to Jan. 2, 2024.
“While the permanent overpass fix will benefit the majority in the long run, delaying this repair by 46 days to save businesses is an acceptable compromise for those impacted,” Horner wrote.
Once initiated, the repairs will intermittently force partial and full closures of sections of Highway 99 and Highway 17A for at least eight weeks.
If postponed, Horner says residents and businesses will have more time to complete holiday shopping, attend holiday gatherings, and ensure local businesses can receive the goods they need during the busy shopping season.
Horner says the ministry should also consider working with TransLink during construction to increase public transit service frequency to the affected area.
