Metro Vancouver is moving into the home stretch on Front Street – if only Mother Nature would cooperate.
Metro Vancouver has been working on a major sewer upgrade project in the section of Front Street between 10th and Begbie streets since last spring. While a section of Columbia Street reopened to motorists in November, Front Street is still off limits.
“The actual sewer construction work is done. Now they are moving into restoration – putting the road back together, putting the sidewalks in, curbs, paving, traffic lights, this kind of stuff,” said Greg Valou, a Metro Vancouver spokesperson. “That is somewhat weather-dependent kind of work. They can’t get a lot of it done while it is raining. It is in its final stage.”
According to Valou, crews are ready to get to work as soon as weather permits.
“The main issue, apparently, is the ground is too wet,” he said. “They need to have a bit of a period where it is dry enough to get the ground compacted.”
Since the Front Street project got underway in April 2018, regular vehicle traffic has been able to travel on most of Front Street but has been required to make a short detour on Begbie Street. Front Street has been off-limits to large trucks, which have been rerouted to Royal Avenue.
Colin Meldrum, division manager of collection systems and liquid waste services for Metro Vancouver, told the Record in November that the sewer upgrade on Front Street is related to the Sapperton pump station that’s being built near Cumberland and Brunette and will be finished sometime this year. It will eventually carry liquid waste from New Westminster and neighbouring communities to the Annacis Island treatment plant.
“This is a key piece of infrastructure that is going to help protect the environment and public health,” he said. “It’s one of a series of projects that are all going to work together to improve our sewer system.”
