A $2.75-million pedestrian and cycling bridge over Highway 99 is nearing completion and should be open to the public by mid-April, according to the project's supervisor.
Construction on the 73-metre Pioneer Overpass began last July with, a scheduled completion date of March 31. Project supervisor Ross Burkholder said the completion date was pushed back because of delays in fabrication of construction materials and high winds postponing some of last weekend's work.
A stretch of Highway 99 was closed overnight March 5-6 so the bridge could be lifted into place.
"Construction progress has been going extremely well," said Burkholder. "Erection of the main bridge piece went just like clockwork."
Installation of the bridge deck and lighting is expected to cause further closures on the evening of March 12 and several following weekends, according to a report from the City of Surrey.
The overpass will link neighbourhoods in the King George Boulevard corridor with Rosemary Heights West. It runs from 148 Street to an empty site across the highway, which the city plans to turn into a park. A path runs through the site of the park, connecting the bridge to 35 Avenue.
Funding for the project was split three ways between the City of Surrey and the provincial and federal governments. The construction is being done by Calgary-based Graham Infrastructure A JV.
The overpass is part of Surrey's Greenways Program, which was adopted in 1995 to provide 200 kilometres of off-street pedestrian and cycling pathways to promote physical activity and reduce vehicle emissions. About 25 per cent of the program's planned routes have already been built.
(video courtesy City of Surrey; photo by Jevon Safarik)