The City of Surrey shares Delta’s desires when it comes to a planned major road expansion project.
That’s what Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum said in a recent letter to Delta Mayor George Harvie in response to a concerns conveyed to Surrey about that city’s plan to connect 84th Avenue to King George Boulevard and 140th Street at the south end of Bear Creek Park.
It will see the construction of two missing sections of 84th Avenue to make it continuous on the Surrey side.
Describing the plan as new arterial highway between the Fraser Highway and Scott Road (120 Street), Delta council is concerned about a flood of additional traffic that would spill over from Surrey.
The plan was approved by Surrey council several weeks ago.
The avenue on the Delta side is currently identified as a collector road, but on the Surrey side it is identified as an arterial roadway.
Delta is requesting that Surrey reclassify 84 Avenue, incorporate active transportation, advocated for enhanced transit and incorporate road safety measures into the avenue’s design.
“I am pleased to advise you that we share your desire for a number of these key principles and have already incorporated these into the design of 84 Avenue. I have asked our General Manager, Engineering, and his staff, to work collaboratively with your staff as we move forward,” McCallum wrote to Harvie.
During Delta council’s discussion on Surrey’s plan a few weeks ago, Harvie said that even if Surrey doesn’t eventually expand the roadway to four lanes, growth in that city could result in much higher vehicle counts, which should prompt Delta to initiate its own additional road projects to protect North Delta’s neighbourhoods.
According to Surrey’s engineering department, the project represents a critical east-west corridor alternative, with the least environmental and property impacts, as there are only two segments unconstructed between 120th Street and Fraser Highway.
