SURREY – WestPro will build the Bear Creek Bridge replacement, Surrey city council decided Monday night.
At its regular meeting, council awarded the Surrey-based company the $5-million contract to replace the bridge, which is south of 88th Avenue on King George Boulevard.
The project is one of the Early Works projects identified to set the stage for light rail transit south of the Fraser River.
“Getting started on this enhancement project is an important milestone to showcase that our preparatory work is well underway and that we are shovel ready for LRT construction in Surrey,” said Mayor Linda Hepner in a release. “In a show of support for LRT, the federal government committed to the funding for this project over a year ago, and we are thrilled to see it move forward.”
CEO of TransLink Kevin Desmond said the bridge replacement is an “important next step” in preparing roads and infrastructure for the Surrey-Newton-Guildford Line.
“We are pleased to see that the city is moving forward to get ready for the anticipated LRT once funding is secured for the project,” he said.
Bear Creek Bridge, a timber trestle bridge built in in the 1930s, is too narrow to accommodate the proposed Surrey LRT corridor. The city says the bridge’s new design will also allow it to withstand the anticipated load of the LRT that will be running on King George Boulevard from Newton Town Centre to Surrey City Centre, before it turns onto 104th Avenue towards Guildford Town Centre.
Replacement of the existing bridge will include rehabilitating the creek channel by improving the stream substrate and incorporating in-stream aquatic habitat features. The design will also better accommodate wildlife movement by offering a wider, unobstructed passage underneath King George Boulevard which further supports the City’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Green Infrastructure Network.
Construction is expected to begin in mid-January and last about 10 months.
beau.simpson@surreynowleader.com
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