Drivers in the City of Langley can expect delays along 200 Street, south of Fraser Highway, to last into late summer or early fall as crews replace and upgrade water, sanitary and storm water utilities below ground.
While work is carried out, traffic along the City’s main north-south thoroughfare is being reduced to one lane in either direction.
Piggybacking on work being done by Metro Vancouver to construct a new sewer main along a right of way, between 53 Avenue and Fraser Highway, the City is using the opportunity to add capacity and performance upgrades to the water, sanitary and storm water utilities that run beneath 200 Street from Fraser Highway, south to 50 Avenue.
Once the work is complete, the full width of 200 Street will be repaved between those two cross streets.
After being briefed on the progress of the work, which began in mid-January, Mayor Ted Schaffer asked the City’s engineer, Rick Bomhof, whether any thought had been given to extending water and sewer lines toward several properties along the west side of 200 Street in anticipation of their redevelopment.
Schaffer noted there are a number of older homes along a stretch of 200 Street that will likely be redeveloped into multi-family structures in the not-too-distant future.
It would be a shame, he said, to complete this project, then have to go back in a year’s time and cut up the new pavement to install water and sewer services to those lots.
Bomhof replied that there is currently no process in place to service lots prior to their redevelopment.
He added that the City would have to lay out the money now to install the lines and then collect it back from a future developer.
“We did it on 201A with a gas line,” noted Schaffer, adding that thinking ahead just seems prudent.