A request for proposals to turn the Steveston overpass from two lanes to five will go out this fall with an anticipated completion date of 2025.
Furthermore, according to a provincial announcement Tuesday on “safety and mobility” improvements, tenders for transit and cycling upgrades at Bridgeport Road and Highway 17A will go out this week and work is expected to start this fall.
The Steveston exchange and highway improvements are in anticipation of the replacement of the George Massey Tunnel.
However, despite the fact the business case for the tunnel replacement was completed in December, the province hasn’t announced whether it will be replaced by a eight-lane immersed tube tunnel or an eight-lane bridge, the two short-listed options.
In response to Tuesday’s announcement, the Richmond Chamber of Commerce said, while it’s pleased to see a “commitment to real improvements” along Highway 99, it’s “anxious” to see a plan to replace the tunnel.
“The George Massey Tunnel should be the province’s first priority for infrastructure investment,” said Dan Baxter, the chamber’s president and CEO, in a statement. “Today is a step forward – now we’re looking for those next steps.”
He said the current tunnel, which opened in 1959, is “woefully under-capacity” and “seismically unsafe.”
The City of Richmond has made “repeated requests” for information about the tunnel replacement project, according to a report that went to council’s public works and transportation committee, but to no avail.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has said it’s in discussions with the federal government about funding and will announce the business case after that is concluded.
“These improvements are a great start at making travel safer and easier for people coming in and out of our city,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie in a statement. “I now look forward to support from the federal government for a new tunnel replacement so that this important corridor and our region's worst traffic bottleneck can finally be addressed.”
According to the ministry, the new Steveston overpass will have two eastbound lanes and three westbound lanes, including a left turn lane to southbound Highway 99. A new Steveston interchange will also improve access to transit stops and pedestrian and cycling connections across Highway 99.
A new bus-only on-ramp will be created from Bridgeport Road onto Highway 99 southbound.
Meanwhile, new multi-use pathway connections will be created from the Oak Street Bridge into Richmond’s cycling and pedestrian network.
Transit priority lanes will also be added along Highway 99 in Delta in both directions, while Highway 17A lanes will be widened and reconfigured to support eastbound bus/HOV priority.
Improvements will also be made to the bicycle shuttle pull-out on Highway 17A, while new ramp crossings and a new shelter will also be added.
