BC to begin Highway 99 improvements shortly

The area around the George Massey Tunnel In Vancouver will soon be vastly different. Last week we reported on B.C.’s decision to replace the actual tunnel, and now the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has announced further planned improvements.

In an effort to make transit more reliable and cycling more accessible, work will begin this year to improve Highway 99 on either side of the George Massey Tunnel.

“Giving people options for commuting by improving transit and active transportation choices is a priority for the region,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

The Highway 99 improvements will combine with the planned new crossing that will replace the tunnel to improve traffic flow, manage congestion and make travel of all kinds more convenient along this section, he adds.

M2K Construction Ltd. of Coquitlam, B.C. has been awarded a $12.8-million contract for construction of bus-on-shoulder transit lanes on Highway 99, south of the tunnel.

Other facets of the project include:

• Creating southbound bus-on-shoulder transit lanes between Highway 17A and the Ladner Trunk Road off-ramp; and
• Creating northbound lanes from Ladner Trunk Road to the existing start of the high-occupancy vehicle lane on Highway 99.

Another contract, worth $5.28 million, was awarded to Lafarge Canada Inc. of Port Coquitlam to build the Bridgeport Road bus connection and improve the Highway 99/17A interchange. This new bus-only access will be created from Bridgeport Road to Highway 99 southbound, designed to improve transit access to the highway and speed up the commute from Bridgeport Station and the Canada Line.

This second contract also includes the creation of a new multi-use pathway from the Oak Street Bridge into the Richmond cycling and pedestrian network, improvements to the bicycle shuttle pullout on Highway 17A and improvements to cycling facilities along Highway 17A, including new ramp crossings and better connection into the existing network.

A third project, to replace the Steveston Interchange, is in the request for qualifications stage, with a request for proposals planned for early fall 2021. That work is expected to begin next year and be finished in 2025.