The 970-metre stretch of 56th Avenue from Glover Road to the Langley Bypass will be torn up to do water and sewer line replacements.
Langley City, the province and federal government announced the $3.62 million project that will start within weeks.
“They’re aging. It’s time for replacing,” project manager Doug Hyde explained about the need to replace the lines.
The underground servicing in that area dates back to the late 1950s and early ’60s.
In addition to the underground work, the street will be newly paved, and have new sidewalk, curbs,gutters and cycling space as well as new LED street lights. The project will increase the sewer and drainage capacity but the water line will be the same size.
Staff said they model infrastructure needs as far out as 2041 and based on projected growth, the water lines are big enough.
The sewer work along 56th Avenue will tie in with the sewer line along Eastleigh Crescent at the intersection.
“We anticipate that they will be breaking ground within the next two weeks,”Hyde said.
The plan is to complete the stretch affecting businesses by the end of June.
“The complete corridor, we’re anticipating it can be done by late August, early September, weather dependent,” Hyde said.
Residents and business representatives impacted by the construction are invited to information meetings.
“I know the business owners obviously have concerns,” he said.
The business-themed meeting is Tuesday evening, April 11.
The meeting intended for residents is Wednesday evening. (Those affected can attend either meeting if they are unavailable on the other evening.)
Both meetings start at 6 p.m. in Langley City hall chambers. They begin with a 20-minute presentation then a question and answer format.
“We’re working to minimize the disruption,” Hyde said.
That’s why the City wants stakeholder input at the meetings.
“They’re trying to work around schedules with the businesses,” explained Mayor Ted Schaffer.
The area affected has some of the City’s oldest underground infrastructure. After this, the City plans to do water and sewer work on Douglas Crescent and on the one-way section of Fraser Highway – two more areas with lines dating back to the 1950s and ’60s.
“Whatever we do on this corridor, on this project, is going to set the tone for other projects in the downtown core,” Hyde said.
About $3 million of the funding is through the Clean Water Wastewater Fund, created last year. The federal government will pay for 50 per cent with the province’s share at 33 per cent and the City’s $600,000 amounting to about 17 per cent of the cost, “which is the lowest ratio of City dollars we’ve ever seen” in an infrastructure project, Hyde noted. “It’s tremendous.”
The City is also doing about half a million in lighting and electrical work not covered under fund but which will result in LED lighting in the area.
“We’re trying to go LED City-wide over about five years,” said Kara Jefford, the City’s engineering manager.
New construction, such as the 203rd Street/53rd Avenue upgrade, has LED.
“We should, by the end of the year, probably have about a fifth to a quarter of the City done,” Jefford said.