Cape Horn/Port Mann Improvements Home Page


	Port Mann Improvement Project It's time to change lanes. News Releases Construction Updates The Port Mann Improvement Project is part of the Province's efforts to relieve congestion in the Lower Mainland. The project is intended to improve traffic flow on the Port Mann Bridge and through the Cape Horn Interchange at the western end of the bridge. Traffic on this section of Highway 1 - the Trans Canada Highway - is heavier than at any other location in western Canada. The highlight of this four-component project is the addition of an eastbound high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane on the Port Mann Bridge. Please read on for more details about the project and how to stay informed throughout construction. Who Benefits? People who choose to carpool will benefit most from the project. Highway 1 HOV users - two or more people travelling in vehicles under 5500 kg - currently are saving up to 30 to 40 minutes a day in travel time. When the new Port Mann Bridge HOV lane opens to traffic, eastbound HOV users will save up to an additional 10 minutes when travelling at peak times between Vancouver and Surrey on Highway 1. Other eastbound travellers also may experience some travel time savings because they no longer have to merge with eastbound HOV traffic before they cross the bridge. Improving the network of major roads and the network of HOV lanes is part of a provincial strategy to address Lower Mainland traffic problems by moving more people, not more vehicles. It's a strategy that means less air pollution, more efficient movement of goods, and time and money savings for commuters. IMPROVING THE NETWORK OF MAJOR ROADS AND THE NETWORK OF HOV LANES IS PART OF A PROVINCIAL STRATEGY TO ADDRESS LOWER MAINLAND TRAFFIC PROBLEMS BY MOVING MORE PEOPLE, NOT MORE VEHICLES. Project Description There are four components to the $74-million project: Highway 7 laning improvements at United Boulevard (Opened November 17, 1999) A new Highway 7 to Highway 1 westbound on-ramp (Opened December 15, 1999) An eastbound HOV lane on the Port Mann Bridge (Scheduled completion Spring 2001) Mary Hill Bypass to westbound Highway 1 ramp (Scheduled completion late 2001) The additional eastbound HOV lane will be an extension of the existing Highway 1 HOV Lanes that opened in October 1998. The HOV lanes currently run from the Grandview Highway Interchange (just east of Boundary Road) to the Cape Horn Interchange (just west of the Port Mann Bridge). Impacts on Bridge Traffic Nightly, single lane closures on the Port Mann Bridge will be required throughout the construction phase. (No further weekend daytime lane closures scheduled.) Port Mann Bridge Improvements Changes to the Port Mann Bridge will include: An additional lane dedicated to HOV traffic travelling eastbound on Highway 1; and Seismic upgrades to reduce the risk of earthquake damage to the bridge. The eastbound HOV lane designation will end before the 152nd Street Interchange in Surrey. Improvements to the Port Mann Bridge started in January 2000. The Province awarded a $33 million contract to Flatiron/KWH Constructors (Canada) of Burnaby for the deck widening and seismic upgrade work required to build the additional lane. Start Date: January 2000 Completion Date: Spring 2001 Mary Hill Bypass to Highway 1 Westbound Ramp The Mary Hill Ramp and United Boulevard intersection portion of the project is starting construction. Materials were settling over the winter to consolidate the ground for this work. The project consists of two main parts: Constructing a westbound, Highway 1 on-ramp from Mary Hill Bypass; and Realigning the westbound, Highway 1/Cape Horn off-ramp to Highway 7 as an overpass. Commuters will see the following improvements: Westbound Highway 1 access from Mary Hill through the Cape Horn Interchange will be more direct; New lanes will be added at the Mary Hill/United Boulevard intersection. Construction is to begin immediately and be complete by fall 2001. Embankments were constructed last fall and allowed to settle over the winter. The construction phase entails the building of road, retaining wall, and bridge infrastructure. Please watch for detour announcements and notices of traffic pattern changes in the local newspapers. Start Date: February 2001 Completion Date: Fall 2001 Highway 7 Improvements Work on the first two components of the Port Mann Improvement Project were completed on highway 7 in the fall of 1999. At United Boulevard, Highway 7 was widened to the Cape Horn Interchange, concrete barriers were installed to improve traffic flow, and more visible signs were installed to guide motorists. Additionally, the Highway 7 to Highway 1 westbound on-ramp was opened near Coleman Avenue and now features a two-lane left turn bay on Highway 7 with a new traffic control signal, and ramp signals to regulate the flow of traffic onto Highway 1 for safe merging. HOV Lanes - Who's Eligible The following vehicles are eligible to use the HOV lanes 24 hours a day, seven days a week: vehicles (under 5500 kg) with two or more occupants buses motorcycles with or without passengers taxis with or without passengers handydart vehicles tow trucks and emergency vehicles responding to an incident Carpooling - Try It! Saving time and money each day is as simple as getting together with at least one other person for your commute. Even if it's only one day a week, it can make a difference. If you need help finding rideshare partners, call 879-RIDE and the Jack Bell Foundation will provide information on commuters whose schedule and locations match your own. Staying in Touch If you have any questions about the Port Mann Improvement Project you can call the project information line at 604-788-4878, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday or leave a message after business hours. RAPID TRANSIT PROJECT 2000 Rapid Transit Project 2000 is building SkyTrain's new Millennium Line which will link New Westminster and Burnaby to Vancouver via the Lougheed-Broadway corridor. ICBC For information on HOV road safety. BCTFA For more information about the province's strategy to relieve traffic congestion in B.C. GO GREEN For information on setting up a trip-reduction program in your workplace. JACK BELL FOUNDATION For information and assistance in forming a carpool with other commuters in your area.