No. H 052/09
For release - April 3, 2009
SURREY, B.C. — Today the governments of Canada and British Columbia celebrated the completion of five vital improvements to the Lower Mainlaind's border crossings. These five-year, $290-million Border Infrastructure Fund projects will improve trade and tourism, and improve B.C.'s economy.
Kevin Falcon, British Columbia's Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, and Russ Hiebert, Member of Parliament for Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale, celebrated this project, which was completed on time and on budget, and expressed their gratitude to all individuals who worked on these important border crossing improvements.
"Everyone in British Columbia and Canada will benefit from the completion of the Border Infrastructure Program," said Minister Falcon. "The improved transportation corridors have increased safety and efficiency for all road users and will significantly enhance the economy in Canada, British Columbia and the Lower Mainland."
"The Government of Canada celebrates the completion of these border crossing improvements that will boost trade and tourism, and help keep Canadians working," said Mr. Hiebert. "We are working together with B.C. to accelerate infrastructure investments in order to help provide more opportunities for British Columbians and promote long-term economic growth."
More than 1.3 million trucks pass through the Lower Mainland's four border crossings each year with a value of goods in excess of $24 billion. The $290-million Border Infrastructure Fund is a cost-shared program between the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia that funded improvements to key sections of the province's road network leading to the region's four border crossings. These improvements have also resulted in enhanced links between border crossings and ports, container facilities, industrial parks, airports and rail facilities.
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The Border Infrastructure Fund was created by the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia in 2003 as a cost-shared funding program to help reduce congestion and improve the movement of goods and people through the Lower Mainland’s four border crossings.
The Border Infrastructure Fund included improvements to the following roadways:
- Highway 1 westbound truck climbing lane at Mt. Lehman Road;
- Highway 10 (west of Highway 15);
- Highway 11;
- Highway 15 (32nd to just south of 88th Avenue);
- Highway 91A at the Howes Street interchange; and
- Highway 91A the north interchange of the Queensborough Bridge.
HIGHWAY 1
- Addition of a 3.2-kilometre westbound truck climbing lane west of the Mt. Lehman Interchange in Abbotsford.
HIGHWAY 10/11
- Widening of Highway 10 to four lanes from 122nd Street to 176th Street (Highway 15) in Surrey
- Highway 10 Improvement Highlights
- Widening of 11 kilometres to four lanes with shoulders to accommodate cyclists
- Access consolidation and median barrier construction to improve safety
- Addition of periodic turnaround locations
- Improvements to intersections, including Highway 10 at the King George Highway and Highway 10 at 152nd Street
- Construction of new bridges over the Serpentine River
- Relocation of the Southern Rail line to eliminate the level crossing at the intersection of Highway 10 and Highway 15
- Extensive installation of sound walls where warranted by noise threshold limits
- Reconfiguration of the Highway 11 interchange at Highway 1 in Abbotsford
HIGHWAY 15
- Widening of Highway 15 (176th Street) in Surrey to four lanes from south of 88th Avenue to 32nd Avenue
- Construction of a two-lane concrete rail overhead bridge parallel to the existing railway overpass south of Highway 10 to accommodate the additional two lanes of traffic (the rail line now runs under the Roger Pierlot structures)
- Highway 15 Improvement Highlights
- Widening of 11 kilometres to four lanes with shoulders to accommodate cyclists and farm vehicles
- Access consolidation and construction of a median barrier to improve safety
- Construction of periodic turnaround locations
- Construction of an overhead twin rail bridge
- Construction of six new bridges over the Serpentine River and the Nikomekl River
- Improvements to Urban Cloverdale and the Burrows Ditch drainage systems
- Improvements to intersections such as Highway 10 and Highway 15, as well as Highway 15 at the Fraser Highway
HIGHWAY 91A
- Reconfiguration of the Highway 91A interchange at the north end of the Queensborough Bridge in New Westminster
- Construction of a new interchange at Highway 91A and Howes Street in New Westminster
April 2009
