More changes could be on the way for drivers using the South Fraser Perimeter Road in South Delta.
Delta council discussed a staff report last week on the traffic pattern changes that have come as a result of the highway opening late last year.
An engineering department report notes that, as anticipated, the opening of the SFPR (now officially known as Highway 17) has dramatically changed volumes on River Road. On average, traffic has been reduced from 6,000 vehicles per day in each direction to less than 2,000. However, traffic counts have found that many more drivers than anticipated coming from Tsawwassen and the ferries are still using Highway 17A (the former Highway 17, before SFPR took the name).
It's resulted in increased
congestion, particularly during the morning commute due to the reconfiguration of the Highway 17A on-ramp to northbound Highway 99. The change saw the permanent closure of one northbound lane on the on-ramp, resulting in what used to be two lanes having to merge into one before accessing Highway 99 and the George Massey Tunnel.
Engineering director Stephen Lan said the on-ramp was modified to account for an anticipated reduction in traffic, however, significant numbers from Tsawwassen are still using Highway 17A.
The number of vehicles using SFPR from Tsawwassen, though, has been steadily increasing, which could ease that congestion, he said.
The province has conducted trials to determine travel times from Tsawwassen to Highway 99. Those trials indicate that
approximately 15 minutes is saved by using Highway 17 during the morning rush hour compared to using Highway 17A.
In an interview earlier this year, SFPR project director Geoff Freer told the Optimist that early traffic counts indicated a significant number of drivers had still been using Highway 17A to get to the tunnel, but driving habits were starting to shift as more drivers realized Highway 17 does save time.
Those savings could be even better, council was told, as the province is reviewing whether to remove barricades along Highway 99 northbound toward the tunnel to facilitate merging between Highway 17 and Highway 99 ahead of the Highway 17A interchange. That would allow Tsawwassen residents to merge sooner and potentially use the counterflow lane during the morning rush hour.
