Highway 91 / 72nd Ave. Interchange | Completed
 

What is going on with this??? No news since 2013...
I suppose in the theme of the recent FOI request for the George Massey Tunnel... a similar one for this project may turn up 'NO RECORDS' as well?

Anyone in the know? It sure would be good to have this project COMPLETE before the major disruptions from the H99 project begin.

They're still attempting to come up with a GMT business case to justify the political election announcement... versus the Broadway extension of the Millenium Line all the way to UBC... so perhaps the info that could be released isn't the "right" info on that one.

Background; http://www.news1130.com/2013/04/02/i...ight-in-delta/

Looks like an intersection upgrade was stimulated by this development and traffic study; http://www.delta.ca/docs/default-sou...-.pdf?sfvrsn=0

Starts on pg 18
Then this happened;
http://www.mkdeltalandsgroup.com/

In no way trying to put down Mininari...........but i hate these type of threads.

I saw the title, got super excited, and then....ugh.

No new article saying it is moving ahead.

No renders posted.

No diagrams linked.

Just a question if anyone else has heard something.

This is why the Rumour Thread was always hot and cold, sometimes an amazing update, usually just people asking for an update, hehe.

I am sorry I created a thread for this (I've only created a few in my 15ish years on this forum), but I honestly didn't know where to ask it! There's nothing coming up from google, nor anything on the ministry website. Its a 'ghost project' at this point, despite the announcement two years ago reaffirming "tens of millions of dollars of federal and provincial funding."

But I got my answer. No one knows!
I shouldn't be surprised...

But it is useful to know that big development nearby got put on hold; it is pretty likely that Delta is maybe playing a role in holding the interchange project back, awaiting an assessment of the impacts of the development on the proposed interchange, and how the interchange would need to accommodate traffic coming to/from the development via 72nd.

Thanks for the update. (Moderators are welcome to delete or merge this with something else).

I believe Delta is the reason why it is not an interchange now.

Over 10 years ago it was listed as one of the interchange upgrades to be done within the border infrastructure project package (#10 to 4 lanes, #15 to 4 lanes, 91A & Howes street interchange, Queensburough bridge interchange) but New West wanted a different design than was being proposed.

It was silently dropped from the project.

I don't think Delta has budged on their position (insistance on WB 72 to SB 91 movement), which is stupid since the potential development next to the hwy will have a frontage road between 72nd and 64th.

Although in the mean time if the school up the 72nd hill closes it would be nice to have the road as two lanes going up

Well regardless of any news, movement, etc. This project *really* needs to get going, or Hwy 91northbound is going to be an absolutely parking lot come the George Massey Bridge Tolls announced today.

a little disappointed in this thread
had high hopes! lol

If even Delta all of a sudden decided to let the province build the overpass it will NEVER go ahead.

This has nothing to do with #91 and everything to do with George Massey. By building the overpass it will make a much freer flowing #81 and hence an alternative to the GMT. This is the last thing the province wants and it wants to make sure that the potential alternative to the new GNT is as undesirable as possible to keep the money flowing into the GMT.

The GMT tolls have sealed the fate of a potential 72nd overpass.

I don't think so.

First, GMT-B won't be open until 2022 at the earliest. The traffic is bad on the AFB today, and will only get worse during construction. An interchange could be built is a pretty short time (Nelson sure was).

Second, the 91 is still an important trucking corridor connecting the 99 (US border) with industrial lands in Delta and on Annacis Island (and a lesser extent in South Burnaby). The upgrade to the Queensborough interchange (and Howes) was part of the moving goods to the border package, which the 72nd interchanged was going to be a part of but was called off until the parties agree on a design. Finishing the 72nd is an important part of that plan (regardless of the tolls on the GMT-B).

The AFB/91 also serves a route not served by the GMT. SOF to South Burnaby. The GMT and AFB don't exactly duplicate and it's not like everyone travelling has an either or choice.

After the GMT-B is built I also think the congestion around the AFB and on the E-W connector will get so bad that if they kept the light, traffic would back up onto the 99 and mess with people going to pay the toll.

Putting in an interchange also makes it easier to get to the toll bridge if you want to bypass the congestion and live in NorSurDel.

But I do think we should put a toll on trucks on the AFB to help pay for all these upgrades over the years, and to help keep trucks from taking the long way around to bypass tolls.

Lol never? Alrighty then

Also, the border infrastructure program that the 72nd interchange was going to be part of was partly funded (and primarily spearheaded) by the federal government. So I think it would still happen if Delta got their act together just because of the Federal involvement.

You are right, it is a busy truck corridor and the road is very busy but that has been the case since the damn AFB opened 25 years ago.

The problem now is that the province has a vested interest in NOT building it. They don't want the AFB to be the Patulla version of the PMB. They will make sure that as an alternative it is as slow and inconvenient as possible so people won't use it and will instead pay the toll at the GMT.

It's Pattullo.

New announcement on this project

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016TRAN0122-000965

Huh.

They say construction is planned for Fall. That's one way to get votes. My biggest gripe though is that this should have been done over a decade ago.

Not only that, you still have the intersections along the SFPR.

Have there been talks about closing Heath Elementary? I assume that's the school you're referring to?

Thanks for posting.

Counterflow on Alex Fraser Bridge sounds interesting.

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016TRAN0122-000965

Excellent.

72nd/91 Interchange and studying counterflow on the AFB (which I suspect will happen sooner than later); I wonder if this is the Liberals realizing that if the 'untolled alternative' doesn't get some attention, they will alienate too many voters south of the fraser who don't like tolls (despite the obvious benefits of the tolled infrastructure).

The key missing detail is will it be a full-movements interchange (to appease Delta)? Or are they just going to go ahead with SOMETHING.

Another detail would be associated widening of Hwy 91 north or south of the AFB to accommodate the counterflow traffic volumes, although I imagine much of it would exit to Nordel / SFPR / 91A. Let the traffic modelers figure that one out. Lets hope the future Sunbury and Nordel Interchanges are advanced; its pretty clear how much the congestion is affecting the peformance of the SFPR as a 'Goods Movement' corridor. Accessing the bridge via a single protected left turn is ludicrous.

Does anyone know how many times this interchange has been 'officially announced' now?

Either way, GREAT news :cheers: (vote pandering or not).

P.S. Metro-One, I hope this redeems my earlier 'what the heck is going on?!?' query :cool: