Upgrades to cycling routes between the Pacific Highway border crossing and 8 Avenue in South Surrey have been completed as part of an $8-million-plus investment in bettering “active transportation” around the Lower Mainland during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials say.
According to a news release issued by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Wednesday (July 14), the project was completed last December, and was among more than 20 to benefit from the funds, which aimed to support everything from “active transportation improvements and transportation upgrades in rural and remote communities, to climate adaptation projects.”
MOTI officials said the local work included improvements to the sidewalk/multi-use pathway between 0 and 2 Avenues along 176 Street (Highway 15); the addition of a pedestrian crossing at 176 Street and 2 Avenue; pedestrian-safety improvements to the Douglas border crossing (Highway 99); and refreshing of 45 bike stencils on 176 Street in the Cloverdale area.
Cost of the undertaking was $143,836.
Across the province, more than 180 projects have received economic recovery funding, as part of the StrongerBC: BC’s Economic Recovery Plan.
Of the $8 million in the Lower Mainland, more than $5 million focused on active transportation safety and access improvements on provincial right-of-ways; nearly $500,000 supported climate-adaptation projects; and close to $3 million went to projects focused on upgrading side and secondary roads in rural and remote communities, the release states.
Other Lower Mainland communities to benefit included Delta, where improvements were made to approximately 500 metres of a multi-use path connecting to Alex Fraser Bridge; and New Westminster (sidewalks improvements on Queensborough bridge). As well, various Metro Vancouver locations are to benefit from improvements to cycling paths, fog lines, barriers and reflectors.
tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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