Surrey city council received an update on the Surrey-91原创 SkyTrain project Monday afternoon from the expansion鈥檚 executive project director, Jennifer MacLean.
Transportation Investment Corporation (TI Corp) is the provincial Crown corporation delivering the project, with major construction beginning in 2024. MacLean noted the line will 鈥済enerally鈥� run within existing roadway right-of-ways, generally in the centre but in some parts on the north or south side.
鈥淭he potential for job growth and economic opportunity is exciting,鈥� she told Surrey council during its council-in-committee meeting Feb. 13. 鈥淟ocal businesses will be better able to attract employees from further afield because of this new transportation option.鈥�
MacLean said the expansion will bring with it roughly 24,000 annual direct and indirect jobs and 14 kilometres of pathways. It will see the Expo Line expanded by 16 kilometres along elevated track between King George Station and its 203 Street Terminus station in 91原创 City.
There will be eight stations, at 140 Street, 152 Street, 160 Street, 166 Street, 184 Street, 190 Street, 196 Street and Fraser Highway station, with the end of the line at 203 Street.
Jennifer MacLean, Executive Project Director, Surrey-91原创 SkyTrain Project. (Screen shot)
MacLean said the 140 Street station features a 鈥渦nique鈥� design that鈥檚 more complex to construct, 鈥渂ut for good reason.
鈥淭his station was designed to minimize impacts on Green Timbers Urban Forest,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚t has as small a footprint as possible on the ground level so as not to encroach on the surrounding treed areas or the local aquatic and fisheries sources. As a result, the design is quite different from other station designs that you will see.鈥�
Opening day will be in late 2028, MacLean told council, putting passengers a 22-minute ride between King George Station and 91原创 City, and a 65 minute ride between 91原创 City Centre and Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver.
She also noted that the widening of Fraser Highway is 鈥渆ffectively complete.鈥�
Meanwhile, Coun. Doug Elford says, Surrey鈥檚 east-west connectivity is currently in a 鈥渄esperate鈥� state.
鈥淲hen we start building the SkyTrain, that鈥檚 going to restrict traffic on Fraser Highway,鈥� Elford recently told the Now-Leader. 鈥淗ow the heck are we going to get around town with restrictions on Fraser Highway? It鈥檚 going to be very challenging for people. What do you take, 96 Avenue or 64 Avenue?
鈥淗ow are we going to get around this?鈥� Elford asks. 鈥淲ell there is no getting around it, really. So that鈥檚 something we鈥檙e going to be hearing about constantly. There is the idea that maybe we should be looking at extending 72 Avenue. Of course, that鈥檚 going through farmland, and there鈥檚 always that concern, but it you look at it, where do all our roads run through? Farmland 鈥� 152 Street, 168 Street, 176 Street. It鈥檚 all through farmland, 64 Avenue.
鈥淪o, I think we really have to look at maybe adding that second east-west connection just to take the heat off 64th,鈥� Elford maintains. 鈥淭hey keep bringing people in, and they gotta get around.鈥�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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