The snow and extreme cold of the last week has slowed down the project to widen 208 Street through Willoughby, but only slightly, according to a senior Langley Township official.
Most of the contractors shut down operations for at least a few days after a snowfall that began on Sunday, Feb. 2 and resulted in a one-day school closure on Monday, Feb. 3,
"It's difficult to do any road work," noted Aaron Ruhl, Langley Township's director of engineering and public works.
The Township council voted in 2023 to speed up the widening of 208 Street, from the Willowbrook Connector at 64 Avenue in the south, up to the 7700 block of the road in the north.
That will bring most of the roadway through the fast-growing neighbourhood up to a full four-lane standard, with bike lanes, multi-use paths, street lights, sidewalks, and upgraded drainage.
The two-phase project, budgeted at more than $55 million for both phases combined, was originally scheduled to see phase one wrap up last September, and phase two finish in the summer of 2025.
However, BC Hydro also wanted to upgrade electrical infrastructure along the route. Adding that work in pushed the deadlines back, with phase one in the south expected to conclude in May, and phase two in February 2026.
The alternative to slowing down the work for hydro upgrades would have been to finish the roads on time, then seeing them torn up months later to install electrical infrastructure anyway.
The snow and frigid temperatures will add a week or two to the total timeline, Ruhl said. He noted that contracts for the roadwork have provisions for this kind of weather-related delay.
All work has not stopped, and within a week of the snowfall, contractors were already clearing snow and had resumed digging in several areas along the route.
