Two new road and rail overpasses in Langley City and on the Langley-Surrey border have opened to public traffic.
Construction has finished on the overpasses at 54th Avenue in Langley City, and a 196th Street on the border of both Langleys and Surrey.
On Friday, local politicians and officials with the Roberts Bank Rail Corridor project marked those openings, as well as the opening several months ago of the 232nd Street rail overpass.
The overpasses are being built to alleviate traffic as longer and more frequent trains travel down the rail lines through Langley, Surrey, and Delta leading to the Deltaport shipping terminal.
Moving traffic over the rail lines, and over roads such as the Langley Bypass, also is intended to improve road safety.
The three overpasses being officially opened on Friday cost $110.4 million, with $30.2 million coming from the federal government.
The overpasses were completed on time and within budget, according to the government.
Other funds came from the province, local municipalities, and a portion from the rail companies involved.
A nearby overpass on 192nd Street in Surrey is scheduled for completion later this year.
Five of the nine overpasses between Delta and Langley have so far been completed.
“By working with our partners, we have delivered on infrastructure projects that will improve the flow of local road and rail traffic, decrease greenhouse gas emissions throughout British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, and increase Canada’s competitiveness in markets throughout the Asia Pacific Region,†said Langley MP Mark Warawa.
Yet to be completed in Langley is the Mufford Glover overpass project.
Many of the overpasses, including the Langley City project as well as Mufford-Glover, have proven extremely controversial.
Neighbours in western Langley City objected to the design of the overpass and feared it could bring additional traffic and noise to their area.