After close to four years of construction, the long-awaited opening of the 40-km, $1.26 billion South Fraser Perimeter Road in South Delta is nearly at hand, but there will be a few final delays before that happens.
According to the Ministry of Transportation website, Highway 17A through Ladner will be closed beginning on Sunday, Dec. 15 with the opening of the SFPR. The detour will be in place until Thursday, Dec. 19. During that time, drivers wishing to access Highway 99 to the Massey Tunnel via Tsawwassen or the Ferry Terminal will now drive onto the new SFPR highway at the 28th Avenue onramp.
Meanwhile, access from the north to the south will use the new SFPR interchange at Highway 99 at the sign reading “Exit 26.”
For those people who are going to local areas in Ladner or along Ladner Trunk Road, drivers are being asked to use Arthur Drive or the Deltaport Way as access.
When the SFPR is opened, the highway will be named 17 and the existing one renamed to 17A. As well, on Monday Delta Council approved the expenditures of $50,000 to install two signs along 17/17A to promote Ladner Village and Tsawwassen.
The approval is conditional upon the signs being designed to Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure standards, including base design, breakaway connections and reflectivity. The sign leading to Tsawwassen will ask northbound drivers leaving the ferry to turn right on 56th Street, while the sign leading to Ladner will ask drivers to turn left on Ladner Trunk Road.
For traffic advisories for Dec. 15-21, visit www.sfprconstruction.ca.