Construction is underway on upgrades to the Highway 99 corridor in B.C. to make transit more reliable and cycling more accessible.

Southbound bus-on-shoulder transit lanes are being added to Highway 99 between Highway 17A and the Ladner Trunk Road off-ramp, and northbound from Ladner Trunk Road to the existing start of the high-occupancy vehicle lane on Highway 99. Eventually, they will tie into the new tunnel to improve transit reliability along the corridor.

The new lanes are expected to be complete in 2023. The upgrades are part of the Highway 99 Tunnel Program, a new, eight-lane immersed tube tunnel (ITT) that will replace the existing George Massey Tunnel on Highway 99.

“Extending bus-on-shoulder lanes will make trips by transit quicker and more reliable. This is the first step to provide relief to traffic congestion on the corridor leading to a new eight-lane toll-free tunnel,” said B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming.

Construction of the Bridgeport Road bus connection and improvements to the Highway 99/17A interchange will also get underway early in 2022. This part of the Highway 99 Tunnel Program includes the creation of a new multi-use pathway from the Oak Street Bridge into the Richmond cycling and pedestrian network, improvements to the bicycle shuttle pullout on Highway 17A and improvements to cycling facilities along Highway 17A, including new ramp crossings and better connection into the existing network.

The Steveston Interchange Project is also part of the Highway 99 Tunnel Program, which will improve traffic congestion in the area when the new five-lane overpass opens in 2025. This project is in the request-for-proposals stage.

With a successful contract award this spring, construction on the Steveston Interchange is planned to begin in summer 2022. The new interchange will improve connections for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, while addressing the current bottleneck.