A stretch of highway in Maple Ridge that is extremely dark at night and has been the scene of hundreds of crashes is getting some lights.
The stretch of the Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) between Laity Street and 220 Street is only one kilometre long but it’s often pitch black at night, making it extremely dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
Maple Ridge Coun. Gordy Robson says it’s been a problem over the years.
“It’s very dangerous, it’s six lanes across when you count the whole road, so anybody that tries to dodge across it is taking their life in their hands and if it’s dark, it’s much more dangerous for them.”
The B.C. government has announced it will spend $1.4 million to install lights, with the work to be complete by the spring of 2019.
From 2013 to 2017, ICBC reported 417 collisions in that area, including two fatal crashes involving pedestrians.
This past year along this section, a young Maple Ridge mother named Tassis Vix was killed in a hit-and-run, and in June a motorcyclist suffered serious injuries after being hit by a truck.
The provincial government has also announced several changes to the Haney bypass corridor.
That includes a single right-turn lane from Lougheed Highway onto the bypass, raised concrete medians to separate opposing traffic, and a new cycling and pedestrian path along the north side of Lougheed Highway from 220th to 222nd.
Construction on that work is expected to be done by summer 2020.