Two councillors – one in Surrey, the other in White Rock – say they were surprised and disappointed to hear Tuesday that a decision had been made to simply repair the 152 Street Highway 99 overpass – not replace and expand it – in connection with “extensive” damage sustained more than a month ago.
Improvements to the aging South Surrey structure were promised more than a decade ago, said Surrey Coun. Tom Gill, noting the context of the conversation at that time was how to facilitate access to the freeway.
“I don’t know what the longevity of the existing structure would be post- these improvements,” Gill, who chairs the Surrey’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told Peace Arch News Wednesday.
“There’s absolutely no question… that 152 Street needs to be doubled. We’ve been impatiently waiting since 2006.”
White Rock Coun. Grant Meyer told PAN it is “totally insane” that the ministry is not using this opportunity to four-lane the bridge.
“Maybe it’s just money. Maybe they’re worried about inconveniencing people,” he said. “It’s too bad.”
Officials with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure acknowledged this week that they are aware of “local support to increase the bridge to four lanes.”
However, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena was not available to speak with PAN about the delays or if an expansion of the bridge remains a priority.
According to Tuesday’s news release, repairs to the two-lane overpass are to begin “in the coming weeks,” and will involve removing and replacing affected girders, and demolishing and reconstructing the bridge deck over the damaged area.
Estimated cost of the work has not been finalized, however, the work is anticipated to finish sometime in April.
The bridge was damaged Dec. 4, when it was struck by a truck hauling overheight equipment, and traffic has been restricted to one southbound lane since the day after.
Motorists travelling Highway 99 northbound are limited to the lefthand lane in that area, and the ministry says there may be a further reduction at nighttime at times, to one lane in each direction, with northbound traffic directed through the median to a southbound lane, during construction.
Business owners told PAN last month – and reiterated the comments this week – that the situation has impacted them financially. They reported decreases of 30 to 50 per cent.
Tuesday, Cobs Bread owner Kiran Behl said awareness of the issue raised by a Dec. 15 PAN article went a long way towards easing the pain.
“That weekend, we beat sales from last year,” Behl said, describing the community outpouring as “so amazing.”
“We had the best Christmas ever.”
While people appear to be adjusting to the limited-access situation, customers numbers this month are down from last January, she said.
Behl said she is happy the overpass is to be fixed, but that she was “very surprised” to learn the work was limited to just repairs.
“Look at how much development is happening,” she said. “We need four lanes.
“Maybe we can turn this negative into a positive. Maybe this is the time to address all of it.”
Nearly a third of 28 comments on PAN’s Facebook post – as of Thursday morning – agreed.
“It should have been enlarged when the under pass of Hwy 99 was done in 1997-2000,” writes Margaret Ross. “Why spend the money to repair.”
“Replace the overpass!!!!!” writes Sherrie Stockley.
A recent initiative by the Mayors’ Council, focused on determining how the public should pay for regional transit/transportation projects, identified 32 Avenue and 152 Street as among “key congestion areas” in Surrey (see page 10). The north-south thoroughfare is four lanes on either side of the overpass.
Gill described it as a “pinch point.”
“Since the 32 Avenue interchange was introduced, we’ve had tremendous growth in South Surrey,” he said. “152 Street should have been updated in 2006 and we’re pondering why that hasn’t been done to date.
“It needs further enhancements and it needs further investments – now.”
Gill said the issue will be on the agenda of the next TIC meeting, currently scheduled for Jan. 29 at Surrey City Hall.
PAN did not hear back from Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner or White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin by press time Thursday.