The long awaited electronic rail crossing warning signs will finally be installed in the 91原创s.
On Jan. 11, the B.C. government announced that six new motorist advisory signs will be built at road and railway crossings in 91原创 City and Township and in Surrey as part of the Railway Crossing Information System project.
These signs, which will operate through a central control system and provide drivers with real-time train crossing information, were supposed to be installed years ago with the Roberts Bank corridor overpasses that were built in the Township and on the border between 91原创 City and Surrey.
But when the project was put out to tender in the fall of 2014, the bids received were well over the $3.8 million budget.
Four years later, and the civil works contract has been awarded to Surrey company Crown Contracting Limited at a value of $1.7 million. The remaining budget will go towards the central control system.
The signs are expected to be operational by December 2018.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long time coming and I鈥檓 looking forward to when they鈥檙e up and in operation,鈥� said 91原创 City Mayor Ted Schaffer.
鈥淚t should be a real positive for the community once they鈥檙e up and going. It has been a long time and people do get frustrated with the railway crossings, but you can only work with what you have, and the City is continuously working with the other parties to make things happen.鈥�
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Rail traffic through the community is expected to double by 2021, with up to 38 trains passing through on any given day. Currently, there are as many as 22 train crossing each day.
The signs will help drivers make informed decisions by stating if crossings are open or closed, and specifying the train鈥檚 location and travel direction.
鈥淭hese motorist advisory signs are a great example of how new transportation technology can improve the day-to-day lives of the people who live in high-traffic, trade-oriented communities,鈥� said Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena in a press release.
鈥淭he Province will continue to work with our partners when it comes to innovating beneficial transportation solutions.鈥�
TransLink is providing $2.9 million in funding for the project, while the provincial government, Transport Canada and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority are each providing $300,000.
鈥淭he Railway Crossing Information System is a critical piece of the Roberts Bank Rail Corridor program that will help drivers make informed choices when planning their route to minimize delays by rerouting to one of the eight new overpass crossings,鈥� said Kevin Desmond, CEO of TransLink, in a press release.
鈥淭his is another example of business and government coming together to improve travel on major road arterials.鈥�
miranda@langleytimes.com
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