It’s finally looking like construction will begin on a port amenity that will change the rural landscape of South Delta.
A civic report to Delta council on the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority project notes the Deltaport truck staging area is about to undergo construction. A tender was to be issued this month.
Completion is expected in late 2020.
Surrounded by farms and located on provincially-owned at the junction of Highway 17, Highway 17A and Deltaport Way, it’s a joint initiative funded by Transport Canada, the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
The $18-million facility will be leased to the port. It will accommodate up to 140 trucks on the east side of Highway 17A and, to the west, there will be a parking area for early arrival trucks, a restroom and an inspection area for B.C. Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement.
Only port-authorized trucks will be allowed to access the site, which will have surveillance cameras monitored by port security.
The Port of Vancouver notes the new facility will address long-standing road safety concerns by alleviating congestion along the Roberts Bank causeway, which can occur when trucks arrive early for their reservations or when there is a closure at the Deltaport container terminal.
The Delta report notes, “Staff have been working with VFPA on a landscaping plan to mitigate the visual impact of the facility; however, the province has restrictions on the type and height of vegetation close to highways so screening is limited.”
A previous report by city staff noted several concerns, including traffic enforcement and policing, as well as pressure on the province to use the facility as a regional overnight parking facility.
Other concerns included the facility being designed to be "scalable" to accommodate port growth if Terminal 2 is approved, which means "significant implications" for adjacent agricultural lands.
