A new road connection between South Surrey and Langley Township may not open immediately, if Township officials have their way.
Surrey has completed a new section of 24 Avenue that connects through to 196 Street, at the Surrey-Langley border.
On the Surrey side, the road is now four lanes wide and complete with lane dividers and new sidewalks, and it emerges directly from the growing Campbell Heights industrial district.
On the Township side, the road is a two-lane stretch that runs through an existing low-density suburban neighbourhood, with no sidewalks, bike lanes, or paved shoulders. The stretch of 196 Street that runs north to 28 Avenue is so narrow that it doesn't even have a central yellow line, and the stretch to the south is a dead-end residential street.
A letter to local residents from the Township was sent out Dec. 23 and was posted online later by one of the recipients.
"It has come to our attention that the City of Surrey temporarily removed the barriers on 24 Avenue within their jurisdiction," the letter says. "They have informed the Township of their intention to fully open 24 Avenue in the new year. In response, the Township will reinstate the barriers and install associated signage to ensure 24 Avenue remains closed at this intersection until an opening is warranted."
For years, 24 Avenue ended in a T-intersection at 196 Street on the Langley side.
Construction on the new road from the Surrey side was underway by 2019, which much of the structure complete by sometime in 2022. Surrey city council approved paving work, from 194A Street to 196 Street, in early 2023. A large Walmart distribution centre sits on the Surrey side of the boundary.
According to a local resident, who asked not to be named, the new road has been consistently blocked with Township of Langley concrete barricades since it was built. However, those barricades were located a few meters west of the three-way intersection, on the Surrey side of the municipal border.
At some point late in December, Surrey removed the barriers. The Township replaced them, this time on the Township side of the municipal line, which places them parallel to the edge of 196 Street. A pink line of spray paint marks out the municipal boundary.
Township Mayor Eric Woodward confirmed that the barriers had to be moved.
"It is my understanding that the barriers erected by the Township of Langley last Council term were placed on the Surrey side of 196 Street, and that the City of Surrey has withdrawn its permission for them to be placed on its property," Woodward told the Langley Advance Times. "Township of Langley staff are now reviewing whether or not barriers can be safely placed on 196 Avenue without using City of Surrey property."
The Township officially decided to close 24 Avenue on its side of the boundary during the 2018-2022 term, Woodward said.
"Their side is constructed with a new four lane arterial standard, while the TOL side is still a rural road standard, and a four way stop at 200 Street," he said.
Township council is expected to extend the deadline for the barriers to be removed, and to consider the matter at its Jan. 13 council meeting.
A statement from the City of Surrey confirmed they are working with the Township on an opening plan for the road.
"On the Surrey side, 24th Avenue functions as a four-lane arterial route, while in Langley, it primarily serves as a rural residential roadway," the statement said. "To address the situation, the City of Surrey and the Township of Langley are collaborating on a plan to safely open the intersection. The barriers will remain in place until this plan is implemented."
Local residents aren't too happy about the new positioning of the barricades, which makes it harder for local pedestrians to get around them and onto the sidewalks on the Surrey side to go for a walk. Those with walkers or canes may not be able to get around at all.
The local resident said that the new positioning is more dangerous. Pedestrians walking along 196 Street in particular are out in the road, with no shoulder or margin for error, at a corner where large dump trucks turn at 196 Street and 24 Avenue.
"It's a serious problem for everyone that lives here," said the resident.
Langley Township has reached out to City of Surrey, but due to New Year's holidays, has not yet received responses.
- This story has been updated with a response from Langley Township Mayor Eric Woodward and from the City of Surrey
