After undergoing an eight-month closure due to SkyTrain construction, a segment of the Fraser Highway in Surrey, British Columbia, has partially reopened to traffic with one lane open in each direction. The newly accessible stretch spans from 140th Street to 96th Avenue.
Gilles Assier, the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain executive project director, explained that full closures were necessary to facilitate the construction of the elevated station platform for the upcoming Green Timbers Station, one of the eight new stations planned along the 16-kilometre train line.
Assier highlighted the unique nature of the Green Timbers Station, emphasizing that it will be constructed directly above Fraser Highway due to space constraints, requiring road closures to accommodate heavy cranes, equipment, and materials on-site.
The impact of the construction has predominantly affected traffic flow this year as the closed section traversed Green Timbers Park. However, businesses along the route, such as Gorgeous Hair Cut near 152nd Street, have reported a decline in customer traffic and sales due to the ongoing construction work.
Concerns raised by business owners echo similar challenges faced by enterprises along the Canada Line in Vancouver during the 2000s. Some businesses suffered significant financial losses during the construction phase of the line, leading to subsequent legal actions resulting in damages awarded to affected parties.
Despite the reopening of Fraser Highway west of Gorgeous Hair Cuts, business owner Johnnie (Gorgeous) Gorgis remains skeptical about the potential improvement in traffic flow, citing client dissatisfaction with prolonged wait times in traffic.
Assier reassured that the project is progressing as planned, with a commitment to maintaining access to businesses along the SkyTrain line during construction. He emphasized the completion target of 2029 for the new SkyTrain line, stretching from King George station to the future Langley City Centre Station at an estimated cost of nearly $6 billion.
Gorgis expressed hopes for timely project completion to mitigate adverse impacts on the surrounding community.