The construction of the acceleration lane to Highway 99 at the Cleveland Avenue intersection has been pushed back again.
The provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, which is responsible for the work, said in an email to The Squamish Chief that the new scheduled date for completion is “early November.”
This would be nearly four months after the original completion date.
Previously, construction was slated to be completed near July 15 and then was pushed to mid-September.
The ministry has had further delays since.
“The contractor has been delayed in its completion of the project by challenges in securing resources, including availability of product and sub-contractors,” wrote a spokesperson for the Ministry. “The ministry apologizes for any inconvenience to area residents caused by the delay in project completion.”
The reasoning above was the same reasoning for the first delay.
The addition of the acceleration lane came about after a 2016 report from the ministry, ICBC and the District of Squamish showed the intersection, and particularly the southbound lane, was prone to accidents.
District spokesperson, Christina Moore, wrote in an email that the ministry had provided a couple of brief updates to the District when asked. Moore said the ministry cited the same reasonings to the District for its delays in construction.
A separate construction project helmed by the District also near Highway 99 is currently taking place on Industrial Way.
The Industrial Way Storm Interceptor Project includes upgrades to the storm water system, including installation of an oil grit separator which helps mitigate the risk of accidental oil spills entering the storm system.
Moore wrote that the project is still slated to be completed during the month of November. At various points during the project, Discovery Trail has been rerouted, but Moore wrote “It is expected to re-open on Monday and is likely able to remain open for the remainder of the project, though intermittent closures may be required.”
Moore stated that the District has attempted to keep it open for as much as possible during the construction. For example, Moore explained that the trail was closed for three days last week but open on the weekend.
