2 month closure of westbound Kensington Avenue exit on Highway 1 in Burnaby underway

Drivers should expect some heavy delays if they take the Trans Canada Highway 1 through Burnaby, as a major road closure begins Wednesday.

The westbound off-ramp from Highway 1 to Kensington Avenue and one northbound lane on Kensington Avenue will be closed 24 hours a day, seven days a week for two months as crews do roadwork.

“The ministry is undertaking this work to address pavement settlement issues that have resulted in bumpy conditions for motorists along the Kensington Avenue interchange. Full closure is necessary to allow crews to safely complete the repairs,” said the Ministry of Transportation and Transit in a statement.

The Ministry is working with the City of Burnaby, nearby residents, and businesses to try and limit any major disruptions.

1130 NewsRadio Traffic Anchor Alex Carrigan says if you have to take Highway 1, slow down.

“I think people should really start to favour Lougheed Highway through that stretch, which is unfortunate for drivers because there are a lot more intersections through the area. Gaglardi is the off-ramp that is before Kensington, but they’re not going to use that. They’re going to miss the off-ramp, and they’re going to go up to Willingdon or Grandview Highway instead. Grandview Highway is going to be a problem because you need to turn all the way back around, so of course, Willingdon is going to be the popular one to get themselves off the highway, and it’s going to become congested.”

Carrigan adds there is a silver lining.

“Thankfully, school is out, so we’re not going to see a lot of delays for BCIT traffic coming through the area, which is going to help out a bit, but it’s also why they want to do it in the summertime to make sure that it gets done right.”

The project is expected to wrap up at the end of August, but there are no guarantees.

“Up until August 31, and that’s if things go according to plan. Sometimes, we see roadwork projects finish a little ahead of schedule; that’s great, but we have to accept the possibility that this could go on a little bit longer, and if this stretches into Labour Day weekend, it’s going to be a major problem. It’s already going to be a problem, but if it’s extended into the long weekend, we’re going to see massive delays,” said Carrigan.

The Ministry says drivers can use Gaglardi Way or Willingdon Avenue for north-south travel off Highway 1 westbound during the closure.

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With files from Dean Recksiedler.