Premier Christy Clark marked the halfway point of South Fraser Perimeter Road construction last Tuesday.
At a media gathering in Surrey, the premier said the new highway is a key example of the government's commitment to get goods to market and connecting Pacific Gateway facilities with access to borders, the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and the B.C. Interior
Also on hand were federal Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway Ed Fast and B.C.
Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom, both extolling how the new highway will meet the transportation needs of the Lower Mainland and serve expanding markets by providing a four-lane expressway for commercial, commuter and tourism traffic.
The B.C. government says that, to date, the Pacific Gateway Alliance has completed more than $12 billion in port, rail, air and road improvements, including the SFPR. A further $10 billion is being invested in key transportation projects that are underway.
The premier announced last week her government is targeting an additional $25 billion to serve expanding Asian demand for Canadian products, while improving the province's transportation network so goods and people can move safely and smoothly.
The $1.3-billion SFPR is expected to create 4,000 construction jobs and 7,000 long-term jobs in manufacturing, light industrial and small-business operations in Surrey and Delta, according to the province.
The SFPR is an approximately 40-kilometre, fourlane route along the south side of the Fraser River from Deltaport Way in southwest Delta to 176th Street (Highway 15) in Surrey, with connections to highways 1, 17, 91, 99 and the Golden Ears Bridge.
The project is anticipated to be open to traffic in two phases: 176th Street to 136th Street in Surrey by December 2012, while the stretch from 136th Street to Deltaport Way is to be finished by December 2013.
The Fraser Transportation Group is responsible for designing, building, financing and operating the road for 20 years.
Delta council was recently updated on the Delta portion of the highway and issues discussed by South Fraser Perimeter Road Community Liaison Committee. A staff report notes that in response to requests by the committee for information relating to traffic forecasts for the Tilbury and Sunbury junctions, Gateway staff provided an overview of the traffic modeling process and predictions for the Tilbury and Sunbury areas.
The report found that "traffic modeling indicates that the Tilbury intersection will fail in 20-25 years, and the Sunbury intersection will fail in 1015 years, meaning that full interchanges will have to be constructed in order to ensure an efficient traffic flow."
Delta council has been particularly vocal about the highway having interchanges rather than intersections, citing safety concerns as well as the efficient flow of truck traffic. The Delta Chamber of Commerce has also called for interchanges.
Transportation modeling for the new highway has been done to 2031 and takes into account population forecasts, changes in public transit and highway infrastructure, and "special truck generators" such as Deltaport.
Gateway is in the process of updating the model to reflect the impacts anticipated from Tsawwassen First Nation development.
