Drivers in Vancouver will see the first traffic impacts of work on the Broadway subway project starting Thursday.
The Ministry of Transportation announced Wednesday it will be undertaking soil study work at Broadway and Arbutus “to inform future construction” of the SkyTrain expansion from VCC-Clark.
WATCH: (March 6) First look at proposed plan for Broadway subway line
The work will force the closure of the eastbound left lane on West Broadway and the northbound right lane of Arbutus Street between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, as well as on Aug. 29, the ministry said.
Additionally, parking will be temporarily restricted along the northbound lane of Arbutus Street north of Broadway on those dates.
Construction on the 5.7-kilometre Millennium line extension and six underground stations is set to begin in 2020, to be completed in 2025. A contractor has yet to be selected.
The work is expected to involve a tunneling operation similar in respects to the Evergreen Line extension, rather than the disruptive “cut and cover” tunnel used to build the Canada Line.
The project is estimated to cost $2.83 billion, which is being split between the provincial and federal governments along with the City of Vancouver and TransLink.
The city has already completed installation of new trolley wires along MacDonald Street, 12 Avenue, and Cambie Street to accommodate trolley buses that will be rerouted by the construction.