Significant Burnaby Infrastructure Updates – Patullo Bridge Replacement, New Overpass to Ease Traffic and Support Trade, Pipeline Expansion Ongoing

Over the past week, several significant infrastructure announcements have been made to support the movement of goods and people throughout our region and to new markets.  The Burnaby Board of Trade advocates for business-supporting infrastructure such as bridges and transit projects, and will engage on behalf of our members on all of these projects to ensure the maximum benefit for our business community.

  • To support the movement of traffic as well as goods on rail, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has announced a proposed four-lane overpass extending Holdom Avenue south over the rail corridor and Still Creek and connecting with Douglas Road.  The Port has signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Burnaby to guide the planning, design, and construction of the proposed overpass, and the port authority, in partnership with the City of Burnaby, will undertake public engagement and Indigenous consultation for the project starting in spring 2020.Improving north-south movement of traffic is a top priority for the Burnaby Board of Trade.

    This project will help alleviate a traffic bottleneck at Douglas Road, and will help expedite the movement of goods by rail to and from the port terminals in North Vancouver, and as such the Burnaby Board of Trade will be engaging directly on the planning and consultations relating to this project.For more details on this project, and to sign up for updates, click here.

  • The provincial government has announced the contractors have been selected for the new replacement for the Patullo Bridge.  This $1.4 billion project will make this crossing between Surrey and New Westminster, on the eastern edge of Burnaby, safer and faster.The four-lane bridge will have wider lanes and better connections into Surrey and New Westminster, improving ease of travel on this corridor for locals and commercial vehicles.The design includes dedicated pedestrian and cyclist lanes, separated from traffic, that will improve safety for all road users and encourage active transportation options.

    The bridge will be built to allow for potential future expansion to six lanes. Construction will begin in the coming months. The new bridge is scheduled to open in fall 2023.For more info on this project, click here. 

  • The expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which terminates at the Burnaby tank farm and shipping terminal, is ongoing, with a recent update announcing nearly 3000 workers are currently employed on the project.  This project, now budgeted at $12.6 billion is expected to be complete by the end of 2022.Following last year’s re-approval process, and the recent Court of Appeals decision, this project is going ahead and will help provide better access to world markets for Canadian natural resources, and generate significant economic activity.

    Based on our review of the pipeline project, the BBOT will continue to work with Trans Mountain to ensure our concerns and all of the regulatory conditions are addressed, and that local Burnaby businesses benefit from this significant project.For updates and information on this project, click here.  To view the BBOT’s review of this project and participation in the approval process, click here.