Expect a harder time than usual finding a parking spot in Ladner Village next year.
A major utility, streetscape upgrade and beautification project is scheduled to commence in January on Delta Street. Costing over $6 million, the work will stretch from 48th Avenue to Chisholm Street and include new sidewalks, street lighting, new pavement as well as a watermain replacement. Work is expected to continue into the fall.
The end result will also see a decorative pedestrian plaza at the intersection of Delta and Bridge streets, decorative stamped/coloured pedestrian crosswalks at intersections as well as new bicycle racks, benches, decorative bollards, banner poles and garbage receptacles.
"We've been in touch with the business community and what we're going to do is have it done blockby-block," said municipal engineering director Stephen Lan said. "That way it will minimize the impacts of construction for merchants and people can use the sidewalks again and also park their vehicles. The inconvenience will be a shorter duration for each block."
Trees will be replaced as roots are pushing up several street panels, a source of concern for the municipality as people have tripped on them. Drainage problems have also resulted from uneven sidewalks.
Lan said new trees will be planted with root barrier systems.
"We're kind of constrained by the root ball, but we are going to try to find as good a size replacement as we can," he said. Delta's engineering department is inviting the public to comment on the Delta Street Roadway Revitalization Project and has a feedback form that can be filled out until Dec. 15.
The project, along with other upcoming Delta infrastructure work, will be featured at a public open house from 4 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3 at the Harris Barn.
The project is part of the much bigger Delta Neighbourhood Road Improvements Plan, which was introduced in 2012 to address aging roads and sidewalks.
Also part of that larger initiative, and scheduled for next year, is the first phase of work on Arthur Drive, from 44th Avenue to Augustine House, which will see streetscape
improvements that include a new sidewalk, better bike lanes, new pavement and street lights. The next phase, from Augustine House to Deltaport Way, will include pullouts at bus stops.
The 4800-block of 48th Avenue will get a new sidewalk and other improvements in 2017.
Projects already completed include the intersection of Ladner Trunk Road and Arthur Drive and the area near 48th Avenue and Garry Street.
Lan said Delta would look at other street and road upgrade opportunities in Ladner and Tsawwassen as part of the South Delta Business Sustainability Strategy, a major initiative aimed at helping Delta's business community adapt to life once the Tsawwassen First Nation mega malls open next year.
