Some merchants in Ladner Village have concerns around the timing of the proposed upgrades to the community's busiest intersection.
Last week, Delta council approved a preliminary design for improvements to the intersection of Ladner Trunk Road and Arthur Drive. While the idea of a roundabout was dismissed, the municipality is going ahead with upgrades that will include a widening of Arthur Drive and lane reconfiguration to improve traffic flow.
Work at the intersection is slated to begin after Remembrance Day and that has some local merchants concerned.
South Coast Casuals owner Bill McKnight said the Ladner Business Association was initially told work on the intersection would start early in the new year and would only last a few months.
Steven Lan, Delta's director of engineering, said underground utility relocation work, which will take a couple months, has to be completed before the above ground work can proceed.
He said that work is expected to start in February.
Lan said the municipality will work to keep local business owners informed about the plans and progress of the work. He said a traffic management plan would also be in place and traffic flow would be maintained throughout the construction process to minimize the effect on businesses in the village core.
McKnight said if he had known several months ago when he was placing his orders that construction would start in November, he would have made changes in his deliveries to account for it.
"It's not fair." The Corporation of Delta is holding a public open house next week to give residents and business owners an opportunity to view and comment on drawings of the proposed improvements. Staff will be on hand to answer questions.
In addition to the lane reconfiguration, the project is slated to include: stamped and coloured crosswalks; a decorative sidewalk; landscaping with rain gardens; decorative street lights with banners and hanging baskets; and a concrete (wooden in appearance) boardwalk across the Chillukthan Slough.
Plans were drawn to revamp the intersection earlier this year when the KFC building at the southeast corner was demolished. The property was purchased by Delta and its building torn down to make room for a new right-turn lane.
There are also plans to expand the adjacent Magee Park and improve the pedestrian walkway.
The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 1 at Kin House, 5050-47th Ave. It will run from 6 to 8 p.m. and will have a drop-in format.
The proposed plans can be viewed on Delta's website, www.corp.delta.bc.ca.
