Plan ahead with vancouver.ca/road-closure and VanConnect
THE City of Vancouver is coordinating an upcoming busy season of road work and overall street use as it continues its key role in upgrading essential infrastructure while also accommodating a variety of third-party work, filming, and special events.
While summer is a busy time for construction given the longer days and good weather, many of this year’s City-led upgrades will start ahead of summer to ensure proper coordination with the additional work throughout the city.
“Part of building a city we love is to ensure the proper functioning of the critical infrastructure we all depend on daily,” says Jerry Dobrovolny, General Manager of Engineering Services. “It’s also about enabling the many great special events spring and summer have to offer for residents, businesses, and visitors.”
This year, several projects will be underway as of April and May along north-south routes as a balance to last summer’s third-party work along the east-west arterial of 1st Avenue. These projects include critical sewer and water main upgrades such as those along Nanaimo Street and Boundary Road.
Overall, the City plans to upgrade 16 km of street network, 9 km of water main, and 4 km of sewer main.
Major City Projects:
- Nanaimo Street Upgrades: sewer separation coordinated with safety improvements;
- Granville Bridge Upgrades: structural and seismic work to repair concrete and steel, and replace expansion joints and bearings.
- Quebec Street Improvements : second phase of comfort and safety improvements coordinated with an expansion of the Neighbourhood Energy Utility;
- Haro and Bute Infrastructure Upgrades: water main replacement with safety improvements at key intersections.
- Boundary Road Upgrades: water main replacement with street and sidewalk rehabilitation.
- MacDonald Street Upgrades: sewer separation and street rehabilitation coordinated with TransLink’s trolley wire relocations as part of the early work for Broadway Subway.
Other Significant Construction:
The City also coordinates the activities of third-parties to develop traffic management plans and limit impacts on residents, businesses, and all road users.
- Broadway Subway early works: phased construction to add trolley overhead infrastructure to streets adjacent to Broadway, including MacDonald Street, 12th Avenue, and portions of Cambie Street, to help keep transit moving once subway construction starts in 2020.
- Oakridge Centre area improvements: utility upgrades around Oakridge Centre.
Congestion Management Strategy:
In 2017, Vancouver became one of the few cities in North America to adopt a comprehensive congestion management strategy. As part of this strategy, the City extended rush hour and bus lane regulations along Broadway and Hastings Street — changes which have shown improved travel times along the latter arterial.
The City is looking forward to gleaning more results from the extended rush hour regulations and is reviewing additional arterials to explore potential changes where appropriate.
Upcoming Special Events:
- Vaisakhi Parade – April 13
- Vancouver Sun Run – April 14
- BMO Half Marathon – May 5
- Car Free Day on Denman – June 15
- Car Free Day on Main – June 16
- Italian Day on the Drive – June 19
- Greek Day – June 23
- Scotiabank Half Marathon – June 23
- Canada Day Celebrations & Parade – July 1
- Car Free Day on the Drive – July 7
- Khatsahlano Street Party – early-mid July
- Global Relay – July 10
- Celebration of Light – July 27 & 31, August 3
- Pride Parade – August 4
- Seawheeze – August 17
For information about traffic impacts, listen to your local radio station, check the VanConnect app, or visit vancouver.ca/road-closure to plan your route before you go.
