Sewer upgrades snarl some busy Lower Mainland routes
Posted October 30, 2024 7:05 am.
Last Updated October 30, 2024 7:12 am.
Some roads around the Lower Mainland are becoming trickier to navigate given the darker days and bad weather.
But add in heavy construction and roadwork, there are multiple hot spots that continue to tie up drivers.
One is at West 70th Avenue and Oak Street in Vancouver where crews are replacing aging sewer infrastructure. It’s down to two lanes in each direction. The goal is to install one kilometre of new pipe that will last at least 100 years, but it’s leaving drivers in a pinch with road closures and back-ups.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!The work began last October and isn’t expected to be completed until spring 2025, with the third phase underway in August.
“The city recognizes the impact that major infrastructure works like this one can have on local residents and commuters, particularly with regards to noise and traffic,” the City of Vancouver said in a statement to 1130 NewsRadio.
“Consistent with our protocol for construction projects, steps taken by the city to support local residents, businesses, and commuters in the lead-up to and during these works include notification letters, project signage, sharing traffic advisory information with the media and public, and posting updates on the project webpage,” it added.
Terminal Avenue is also completely closed from Quebec Street to Main Street eastbound. While much of East Broadway remains ripped up as work continues on the new subway line, which isn’t slated to open until 2027.
North Road between Lougheed Highway and Clarke Road along the Burnaby-Coquitlam border is another area full of road closures, heavy delays, and noise.
Crews are also installing an upgraded sewer line replacing it with a bigger one to handle the load of a growing population. The work got underway in the spring and is expected to wrap up at the end of this year, with some restoration work scheduled for 2025.
Mike Jokic, lead senior engineer with Metro Vancouver in Liquid Waste Services, says the work is on schedule, despite the ups and downs in the weather.
“Weather can be an issue for final restoration work, so the paving. But, as they have right now, they can open the road with a temporary restoration and wait until the weather is better,” said Jokic.
He adds Metro Vancouver collects sewage from all the municipalities that feed into this specific pipe, which ends up on Annacis Island where it’s treated, so there is urgency to replace the one that’s been there since the 1960s or 1970s.
“It’s going to be slightly larger as well because our population is growing.”
Jokic acknowledges the work is loud and noisy and likely disruptive to nearby businesses and residents, however, he says people were notified.
“It’s a tricky project because we’re right on North Road, which borders both Coquitlam and Burnaby, so we have to work with those two municipalities. There have been some minor complaints. Initially, we were trying to accelerate the progress by working nights, which also helped with traffic … but then we decided to move back to daytime because of the noise,” he explained.
“The traffic, they do their best to minimize the impacts. At the intersections where it’s important, they stop work at rush hour to minimize the traffic impacts. We’re doing all we can, it’s obviously difficult. This work has to be done. It’s for the public’s good.”
He says he knows not everyone likes the delays or noise, but is pleading for patience as they get through this final leg of the project.
“We’re hearing what they’re saying and we’re doing our best to minimize it. It’s really important work. We have to do this. We’re doing our best to do this in a timely manner and with minimal impacts.”
Jokic adds there’s a chance they could go back to night-time work with crews at sites up to 21 hours a day to help move up the timeline.
Listen live to 1130 NewsRadio Vancouver every 10 minutes on the ones for traffic updates. You can also follow us on X @NewsRadioVan and subscribe to Traffic Alerts sent directly to your inbox.
