B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation says it will postpone repairs to an overpass crossing Highway 99 in Delta, following outcry from the local community.
The Highway 17A overpass was damaged on July 18, when it was hit by an over-height truck.
The ministry had initially planned to begin minor repair work Thursday with major closures on Highway 99 on Nov. 17.
Yvonne Anderson, director of the Delta Chamber of Commerce, told Global News local businesses were alarmed at the prospect of major traffic disruptions, particularly in the Ladner and Tilbury areas.
“The biggest issue from our perspective as business owners and businesses in Delta is this is the Christmas season, this is the busiest season of all,” she said.
“The negative impact on small businesses that have been so hard hit over the last years with COVID, with supply chain issues, with labour shortages, and so many of them have these CEBA loans they have to pay back in January, they need this season to be fabulous for them.”
Delta’s local government echoed the business community’s concerns, with Mayor George Harvie writing to Transportation Minister Rob Fleming to call for a delay to the new year.
“This delay will provide us with time to communicate with TransLink, residents, and businesses about alternate traffic routes,” Harvie wrote.
“The Highway 17A Overpass is a critical connection for our agricultural community during the farming season. Repairs to the overpass completed by the end of March 2024 would allow increased farming activities to begin in the spring.”
Late Thursday, the Transportation Ministry confirmed it would push the repairs into 2024.
“After hearing of additional concerns about traffic impacts over the holiday season, we’re taking our cue from those most affected by construction and are delaying this work until the new year,” Fleming said in a media release.
The repair work to the overpass is expected to be extensive, including demolition and girder installation.
The ministry said that will result in lane closures and detours during a 12-week period starting in January — four weeks longer than initially planned, to accommodate winter weather.
The province said it expects repair work to be completed by early April, ensuring Delta’s farming sector won’t be affected.