Two year upgrade to Vancouver’s Marine Drive begins

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A five-kilometre stretch of Vancouver’s Marine Drive is now under construction, and will be for the next two years. 

A major upgrade to infrastructure between Oak Street and Victoria Drive began Monday and is scheduled to end in December of 2022. 

“The existing water main and sewers have reached the end of their service life and need to be replaced. The new water main and sewers will each have a life expectancy of 100 years and will help serve this growing area,” according to the City of Vancouver website. 

“The Marine Drive corridor is a major arterial route that sees about 34,000 vehicles on average per day. The condition of the infrastructure along Marine Drive is critical to residents and commuters alike, serving as a link to multiple destinations across the Lower Mainland.”

For commuters, it means one or two lanes will be closed along some stretches, and parking restrictions will also be implemented as needed in order to accommodate crews.

As for the timeline, the work is all being done at once to minimize disruption.

“By working to coordinate the water main replacement and sewer separation with the street and electrical improvements, we can minimize public disruptions from construction over the long term — particularly on arterial routes,” the website says.

The need to keep the road open to traffic also impacts how much work can be done at any one time.

Ultimately, the city’s advice to drivers is — “expect delays.”

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