Lane and road closures – including full closures of Columbia and Front streets – are coming to New West in 2024 as part of the Pattullo Bridge replacement project.
In a recent report to council, staff stated the project requires temporary re-routing of traffic at various locations to facilitate construction. The lane and road closures are planned for this winter and in the spring.
Wendy Itagawa, executive project director, recently wrote to the city on behalf of the Transportation Investment Corporation (TiCorp). She outlined traffic impacts that are expected in New Westminster this winter and in the spring.
“As construction continues to progress on the Pattullo Bridge replacement project, more traffic pattern changes are planned in New Westminster,” she wrote in a Dec. 11 memo to the city. “These changes will support ongoing construction of the connecting roadways as well as the bridge infrastructure.”
Here’s a look ahead at some of the traffic changes coming to New Westminster in the months ahead.
Royal Avenue
Royal Avenue utility and drainage work will be ongoing through early 2024. TiCorp reports that the Royal Avenue overpass rehabilitation is mostly complete, but lane closures will continue through early 2024 as crews complete utility relocations and drainage work in the area.
“This work will be complete before the first Front Street closure in January,” said the memo. “Final paving along Royal Avenue will be completed at a later date.”
East Columbia Street/McBride Boulevard
Intersection improvements at East Columbia Street and McBride Boulevard will be ongoing through spring 2024.
The memo stated that the McBride and East Columbia intersection requires modification to improve safety for walkers, cyclists and drivers, and to accommodate the new direct East Columbia off‐ramp from the new bridge. Construction of the rehabilitated heritage wall, located in front of Victoria Hill, is mostly complete.
“Intersection regrading work will take place in spring 2024, which will require directional lane closures on Columbia Street over one weekend,” said the memo. “As traffic will be detoured to Front Street, this work will take place when Front Street is open.”
Front Street and Columbia Street
Transportation Investment Corporation’s memo to the city states that Front Street and Columbia Street closures will be required for girder installation and bridge deck construction. This work will be done from January to August 2024.
“Starting in January 2024, the project will implement sequential full road closures on Front Street and Columbia Street near the Pattullo Bridge for crews to install steel girders and build the new bridge deck,” said the memo.
While the project requires full closures of both Front and Columbia streets, TiCorp said that the two roads will not be “Front and Columbia will not be closed at the same time.”
According to TICorp, full road closures are required for public and construction worker safety during girder delivery, temporary tower construction set‐up, and girder installation over these roads.
“Full‐day closures will result in a shorter construction timeline overall and minimize noise impacts associated with nighttime work,” said the memo to the city.
According to TiCorp, the first Front Street closure will take place starting in late January and will last for approximately one month. The Front Street Mews will remain open for local traffic.
In late February, a closure of Columbia Street will take place; it’s expected to last for approximately one month.
As part of the Columbia Street closure, detour routes have been developed for regular motorists as well as commercial vehicles. The memo said cyclist and pedestrian detours will be further developed in consultation with active transportation groups.
One of the biggest road closures required as part of the work on the new bridge will be a six-month closure of Front Street. This will allow for temporary tower construction and completion of the girder installation and bridge deck construction over Front Street.
“The project team will provide more information in early 2024 outlining specific timing for additional closures,” said the memo.
Based on previous experience of road closures on Front and Columbia, the project team will implement mitigation measures to minimize the impacts to local residents, businesses and general public using these corridors. This includes informing drivers of the upcoming traffic pattern changes through signage and displaying information about the closures on the city’s digital advertising signs and Ministry of Transportation message signs (so drivers know to avoid the area and use alternate routes).
In addition, TiCorp will deploy traffic control personnel to assist with directing traffic, enforcing truck restrictions, and assisting pedestrian and cyclist movement at key locations. It plans to monitor “key local roads” to ensure the traffic detours don’t have adverse impacts on local neighbourhoods.
Robust communications
In her memo to the city, Itagawa said the project team recognizes that regular, proactive communications will be “critical” to ensure the travelling public, commercial vehicle operators, and local businesses and residents are aware of upcoming road closures.
The memo said a “robust” communications and engagement plan is in place to support the upcoming Front Street and Columbia Street closures. This includes: emails to about 1,200 people who have signed up for updates, as well as resident, business and stakeholder groups in New Westminster; door-to-door or mail notifications to nearby residents; meetings with local residents’ associations; and outreach to active transportation groups, local schools and other organizations.
According to TiCorp, the communications plan also includes meetings with the Downtown New Westminster BIA and door‐to‐door visits with businesses along Columbia Street and Front Street. It’s also doing outreach to the commercial vehicle industry and other transportation associations.
Transportation Investment Corporation, a provincial Crown corporation, is delivering and overseeing the $1.377-billion Pattullo Bridge replacement project. The new bridge, which is being designed and built by Fraser Crossing Partners, is expected to open sometime in 2024.
