The federal government has announced funding for a new underpass and an overpass to help commuters speed past the CP Rail tracks, but so far no other agency has stepped up with more money.
Federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau announced $55.8 million in funding for the new crossings and other projects, May 17 at the CP Rail Intermodal Yard in Pitt Meadows.
But so far no funding has been announced by the other partners in the project – the railway, the provincial government and the members of the Gateway Transportation Collaboration Forum.
The total budget for four infrastructure initiatives is approximately $160 million.
“The majority of this budget is associated with design and construction of the Harris Road Underpass and Kennedy Road Overpass projects in Pitt Meadows,” said Danielle Jang, of the Port of Vancouver.
“The federal funding of $55.8 million is approximately one-third of the budget for these initiatives.”
The other project that has received funding for design and construction is the Mountain Highway underpass project in North Vancouver, which has a much smaller scope.
Funding was received for additional studies and engagement for the Pitt River Road and Colony Farm Road rail overpass project and Westwood Street and the Kingsway Avenue grade-separations project in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.
Pitt Meadows Mayor John Becker said the city will not be putting funds toward the new infrastructure.
“Pitt Meadows’ contribution will be limited to the collection of empties along the track,” he said.
Already, he added, the prospect of trains being built across the city at all hours makes the improvements in traffic flow appear to be a mixed blessing.
He said the Gateway group will need to “come to the party” with funding. Members of that group include Port Metro Vancouver, TransLink, the Greater Vancouver Gateway Council and the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Becker said council will want to hear that the ministry is going to address the failed intersection at Harris Road and Lougheed Highway, otherwise traffic will only arrive at another bottleneck.
Through the collaborative efforts of the port authority, Transport Canada, B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, TransLink and the Greater Vancouver Gateway Council, an infrastructure program called the Greater Vancouver Gateway 2030 strategy was created to ensure the roads and railways that lead to the Port of Vancouver are ready to manage Canada’s growing trade.
After extensive study, nearly 40 priority infrastructure projects were identified for the Lower Mainland, which create bottlenecks for the movement of goods.
Three of those projects are in Pitt Meadows, and an overpass at Allen Way will be part of a later application for federal funding.
The city will be conducting a Transportation Town Hall event on June 25.
Becker said the federal funding is significant, calling it “a couple of more pieces to a very large puzzle.”