The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and project partners have announced that the upgrade of the Mountain Highway underpass on Vancouver’s North Shore has been completed and it is now open to vehicle traffic.
The underpass improvements aim to enhance the movement of trade-related cargo through Greater Vancouver while improving mobility and safety, protecting the environment, and alleviating the community impacts of growing trade, according to the Port Authority of the Canadian port.
“The completion of the Mountain Highway Underpass is another milestone in the Government of Canada’s efforts to enhance Canada’s transportation infrastructure and ensure greater long-term efficiency for our supply chains,” said the Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra.
Contributing to new road and rail infrastructure, the underpass, which is adjacent to Lynnterm Terminal in the District of North Vancouver, will help ease the impacts of growing trade on local communities while fulfilling the port authority’s federal mandate to enable Canada’s trade through the Port of Vancouver.
The project was led by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in collaboration with Western Stevedoring, the District of North Vancouver, CN Rail and Squamish Nation, while it also required strong partnerships with the government, port terminal partners and local indigenous groups.
In addition, it will provide better trade efficiency for the gateway, safe pedestrian access with new sidewalks, as well as an enhanced port of entry capacity for oversized cargo at Lynnterm Terminal.
“With the deepening of the Mountain Highway underpass, one of the major bottlenecks to the transportation of oversized cargoes has been significantly improved. Western Stevedoring is now able to attract and handle oversized cargo for major projects in Western Canada that have previously been imported through US ports due to restrictions in British Columbia such as the Mountain Highway underpass,” commented Dave Lucas, president of Western Stevedoring.
Mayor Mike Little, District of North Vancouver also noted, “By deepening the underpass at Mountain Highway, partners on this project ensured the Lynnterm Terminal can accommodate oversized cargo, which in turn will increase import and export capacity and trade opportunities.”
“This is also the first gateway construction project funded by the National Trade Corridors Fund that the port authority has completed,” said Jennifer Natland, acting vice-president, real estate of Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. “Improvements to the underpass will enable the gateway to operate more efficiently and handle anticipated trade growth through the port for years to come.”
