Sea Island Construction
In recent months there’s been a lot of construction happening on Sea Island. There’s been the construction of the Canada Line by the Arthur Laing Bridge. There’s also been construction on both a new firehouse and a new BCIT Aerospace Technology Campus along Russ Baker Way by the southern runway. Then if you peer across the way from that along River Road is the construction of the Olympic Speed Skating Oval.
There’s definitely a lot of large projects happening in a small area. The Canada Line seemed like it was off to a slow start, however in recent months/weeks it seems to be picking up pace quite a bit. This little spot by the bridge for many years was a popular place for golfers to practice their swings. The field was vast enough for more than one golfer at a time and was long enough to practice with most of your clubs.
This has all rapidly changed with the construction work going full force on the Canada Line. Although at this point of the line, the construction is certainly less disruptive of traffic compared to the Cambie corridor and downtown portions.
This segment of the line that heads to the airport will quite interestingly pass over the Arthur Laing bridge, which is quite a bit opposite to how the Skytrain currently dips below the vehicular traffic between the Stadium and Main Street stations.
As well as increased traffic when this is completed, it appears there is currently quite the disturbance just a little further along the line at Miller Road just in front of the Air Canada hanger. This is a popular location for plane watchers to come as it is directly under the landing path of the planes.
I hope that they’ll create another plane watching park/pull out area like they did over at the south runway.
I’m imagining traffic is going to be hellish around these areas once these projects are all complete. Especially during 2010. The Arthur Laing bridge is already a congested mess during rush hour, now add in the Olympic traffic from the airport. The Dinsmore Bridge is only one lane in each direction and will be congested due to the location of the new BCIT Campus. The No. 2 Road Bridge will be congested due to it being the closest to the Olympic Speed Skating Oval.
Does anyone else think the traffic situation in this area wasn’t properly planned?
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I think the Canada Line is supposed to alleviate the ‘traffic’ in certain areas although one of the first stops after the airport will be River Rock (cha ching!).
The Skytrain currently goes under the city, over the city, over the Trans Canada Hwy (twice) and even over existing rail lines. I think at this point our transit can do anything (just hope the prices stay down) :p
link not working, oops :p Canada Line ah there we go.
The Canada Line is indeed a good project. Hopefully this system will make Vancouver more Green. I’ve never accepted a job in Richmond because of the commute and maybe the Canada Line will help out