With a billion-dollar highway set to open in these parts within the month, I know my anticipation level should be higher, but I must admit I'm having a tough time getting too excited about the South Fraser Perimeter Road.
I live and work in Ladner, so I'm certainly not your average South Delta commuter, nor the best to necessarily weigh in on the benefits of our new strip of asphalt courtesy of the provincial government. However, when I do gas up the Honda and venture beyond our borders, I find I make very few trips of the northeasterly variety.
I fully admit that's just me and my driving habits, and I'm sure there are those out there who are anxiously waiting for the express route to Highway 1 the SFPR will offer, but I wonder just how busy the new highway will be. I don't think it will be Golden Ears Bridge empty given there won't be a toll, but it does share a similarity with that span in the sense neither caters to typical commuting patterns.
I remember Delta doing traffic counts a few years back that found the vast majority of vehicles on Highway 17 were headed for the George Massey Tunnel, not Highway 10, River Road or southbound Highway 99. Whether for work or pleasure, our natural travel pattern tends to be north-south, not east-west, so I suspect if most people here had their way, they'd want a new bridge across the river to open next month and the SFPR to still be a decade away.
That's a moot point, not only because of all those paving trucks at work, but due to the fact the Perimeter Road was always designed with truckers, not commuters, in mind. It was never meant for regular folks, so if we can benefit from it, well, that's simply a bonus.
I shouldn't be too hard on the new route because a legitimate highway south of the Fraser River was long overdue. There's no denying that Highway 10 and, in particular, River Road are poor excuses for moving traffic in an efficient manner, so in that sense the SFPR is a welcome piece of the network. What's more, this is a major infrastructure investment in an area that hasn't seen a whole lot in recent years.
Should I have the need to go to a soccer game in Maple Ridge or perhaps a function at the Langley Events Centre, you can bet I will be singing the praises of the direct route afforded by the South Fraser Perimeter Road.
In the meantime, unless the SFPR can somehow get me across the river into Richmond, I imagine it will be more of the same.
