TransLink has hit pause on planned major upgrades to the Burrard SkyTrain Station, which would have seen the downtown Vancouver facility closed for two years.
The regional transit and transportation agency said the work has been put off due to “higher than anticipated construction bid prices during the procurement process.”
“This is due to ongoing pressures in the construction industry caused by global supply chain issues and higher construction costs,” TransLink said in a media release.
TransLink announced the project in July and said it was necessary because the facility had not received any upgrades in its 36-years of operation.
Burrard Station is the fourth-busiest in the transit network, according to TransLink, and handles about 7.6 million boardings per year.
The work would have seen the number of elevators and escalators doubled, eased congestion on the train platforms and upgraded the station’s power supply.
It would also have involved redesigning the station’s outdoor plaza and relocating the Burrard Street entrance both to prioritize pedestrians.
TransLink said the upgrades were now on hold while it worked to determine a new scope for the project which would “ensure the station remains in a state of good repair.”