It may not be everything Maple Ridge council dreamed of, such as ripping down the Salvation Army Ridge Meadows Ministries building to allow a proper exit ramp, but it looks like the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has bent a bit in its plans for re-building the corner at Haney Bypass and Lougheed Highway.
Councillors this week received a brief update from staff on the project, which will be the first in a multi-phase improvement of the bypass from 222nd Street to Kanaka Way.
The ministry had planned a redesign that would have banned left turns eastbound off Lougheed Highway on to 222nd Street. That now seems to be back in the plan, Coun. Bob Masse said on Thursday.
But the design also seems to have only one right-hand lane turn from Lougheed on to the bypass, Masse added.
“It sounds like they’ve … made it better and maybe as good as it can be, without removing the buildings.”
Masse is assuming that council will be updated on the latest design.
“It’s not as good as what we hoped for, which is two right-hand turn lanes and a nice full, free movement through there. So it sounds like it’s a compromise.”
The brief also seems to hint that other improvements could be made later.
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows MLA Lisa Beare said in e-mail that the ministry will be issuing tenders for the project in a few weeks.
“People have waited long enough to get the Haney Bypass upgraded. I appreciate the concerns raised by the Maple Ridge council and understand the ministry has worked with the city to redesign the project and will be moving ahead with tendering in the coming weeks,” Beare said.
Coun. Gordy Robson said he was surprised to hear that the design was complete.
“They haven’t told us. They didn’t ask us about the trailers [modular homes on Royal Crescent for the homeless]. They didn’t ask us about the highway,” Robson said.
He said it was also in the ministry’s best interest to ensure the intersection is done properly.
The ministry continues to work with Maple Ridge on the finalized design and configuration of the Haney Bypass road improvement project on Highway 7, it said Sept. 27.
Maple Ridge and the ministry have been negotiating the design for the project several months.