Repairs to the Highway 17A overpass in Delta will get underway on Thursday, but the Delta Chamber of Commerce is urging the province to delay the work until after the holidays.
Announced Tuesday, permanent repairs to the crossing over Highway 99 will begin on Nov. 9, with detours and partial lane closures expected over the next eight weeks, depending on weather, mostly in the evenings.
The work is to redress damage done when the overpass was hit by an over-height truck on July 18. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says the repairs will be extensive, involving demolition and girder installation.
In addition to possible nightly single-lane closures of Highway 99, the ministry is warning drivers Highway 99 will be fully closed from 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19 to accommodate demolition and girder work at the Highway 17A crossing.
Southbound traffic will be detoured via Highway 17A southbound to Ladner Trunk Road and rejoin Highway 99 southbound at the Mathews Interchange.
As well, the damaged north side of the Highway 17A overpass will be fully closed from 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17 until the project is complete.
The southbound lane and the northbound HOV/transit lane over the damaged north side of the Highway 17A structure will be closed to all traffic crossing Highway 99 for the duration of the project. The structure carrying traffic north over Highway 99 remains open, and access to Highway 99 northbound will be maintained via the loop ramp only.
With the damaged structure closed, drivers who want to cross Highway 99 from the River Road side must detour north through the George Massey Tunnel to Steveston Interchange and come back southbound on Highway 99 to Highway 17A southbound.
Drivers are reminded to observe signage, traffic-control personnel and reduced speed limits. Updates will be provided via drivebc.ca.
On Wednesday (Nov. 8), the Delta Chamber of Commerce issued an urgent letter to Transportation Minister Rob Fleming imploring the province hold off on the repairs until Jan. 2 so as to minimize disruptions during the busy holiday season.
“While the Delta Chamber recognizes the prioritization and expediency dedicated to this repair, the scheduled timing will cause significant, negative impacts on businesses in Ladner, Tilbury and the surrounding region,” wrote board chair Rosanne Horner.
Specifically, Horner said the eight weeks of closures will “at a minimum” hinder food and beverage businesses through the cancellation or relocation of holiday gatherings and bookings, direct and wholesale retail enterprises as the detours will redirect consumers to alternate retail destinations outside of Delta, health-care and paramedical service providers where individuals are utilizing their remaining 2023 extended benefits, and manufacturers and distributors due to transportation delays and increased transit times as they work to meet year-end delivery deadlines — especially while so many are still recovering from supply chain disruptions.
“With CEBA loan repayments due on Jan. 18, 2024, to qualify for the forgivable portion, it is imperative that small businesses are equipped with every opportunity for success this calendar year. The food and beverage industry has been one of the hardest hit during COVID and continues to be in a state of recovery,” Horner wrote.
“While the permanent overpass fix will benefit the majority in the long run, delaying this repair by 46 days to save businesses is an acceptable compromise for those impacted.”
Horner also said delaying the repairs will also give the chamber time to develop a co-ordinated communication strategy and prepare alternative transit routes to service the area, pointing out that while the ministry consulted with the city, Delta’s emergency responders, the Delta Farmer’s Institute, HUB, TransLink and other ministry projects in the area, “you will note the omission of the business community in this consultation.”
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