Policy & Positions Manual
Policy Priority Area - Transportation
East-West Connector Between Abbotsford Airport & Highway 99 (2010)
Transportation is a major barrier to business and investment in south western BC, and it must be addressed on a regional basis. While each municipality has specific challenges with the movement of people, goods and services, transportation and traffic concerns go far beyond individual municipal boundaries and must be considered on all fronts. The province of BC is promoted internationally as a world-class destination, with the Greater Vancouver Region as the gateway to the province. It is vital for this region to have facilities and infrastructure to handle the existing and future demand to alleviate transportation gridlock and to protect our air quality.
Currently, passenger and commercial carriers en route to or from Highway 99, the US border and destinations in the southwest sector of the Fraser Valley are commonly directed to travel on Highway 1. Residential and commercial development throughout the lower Fraser Valley and additional service and capacity at Abbotsford Airport continue to add to the stress and gridlock on Highway 1. There is a demonstrated need for development of a provincial southern connector to link the Abbotsford Airport and Canada/US border crossings with Highway 99, Delta Port and Vancouver International Airport. At the present time commuter and commercial traffic are utilizing inadequate municipal arteries to travel through Abbotsford, Langley, Surrey and Delta. Based on the Chamber’s understanding of continuing development in the Fraser Valley, this corridor will be urgently needed.
Engineering consultant reports continue to confirm the need for a major east-west Highway south of Highway 1 so as to connect Highway 99 in Surrey/Delta to join Highway 1 east of the Abbotsford International Airport and facilitate future traffic growth in the entire lower mainland. This secondary high-capacity route south of the Fraser is also deemed necessary for both capacity and safety reasons in the event of incidents that shut down Highway 1.
Recently, the Abbotsford International Airport is reported to have acquired title to the property west of their facility, extending westward to Bradner Road in direct alignment with 16th Avenue. This property could provide a direct east-west connection to Highways l3, 15 and 99 along such a corridor. Further property acquisition on the part of the Abbotsford International Airport is in planning stages to facilitate an eastward direct connection with Highway 1.
Recognizing prevailing common utilization of an incomplete route, and on the basis of information currently available, 16th Avenue appears to be the primary choice for an east-west connection. However, the parties are open to other options if such can be reasonably devised, within the limited geographic restraints, as a better alternate. The objective should be to immediately explore and designate an east-west connector route that can ultimately be developed to highway standards, while enabling municipalities the ability to align their planning and route access via a protected route in an orderly fashion.
Thus, timely Provincial “designation” of an east-west connector will serve to protect the right-of-way and facilitate development of such a route on the basis of harmonious regional planning. It is incumbent that an east-west connector route be designated and subsequently developed over time to significantly improve access, reduce congestion, enhance safety and reduce stress on the environment.
THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS
That the Provincial Government:
- commence planning immediately for the designation, development/confirmation of the alignment for a southern east-west connector between Abbotsford Airport and Highway 99. Such planning should identify a desirable timeframe for completion of portions or all of this corridor; and
- following completion of the alignment selection, commence protection and/or purchase of the required right-of-way in conjunction with affected municipalities.
