Prepared by Dillon Consulting Ltd. of Richmond B.C.
September 1999
Introduction
The concept of an additional Fraser River
Crossing better connecting the provincial and regional transportation network in Maple
Ridge/Pitt Meadows and Surrey/Langley has been around for some time. Previous work
completed for or by the Ministry of Transportation indicate conceptual development of
alternatives for this crossing at the time when the Trans Canada Highway was being
upgraded through this area (1960's). In the last decade, regional planning resulting in
the GVRD Livable Region Strategic Plan and Transport 2021 has confirmed an
additional crossing forms part of the long range plan for the lower mainland within the
context of providing efficient movement of people and goods within a compact metropolitan
area.
At this time, the Ministry of
Transportation is studying several improvements to the provincial network recognizing
guiding principles and policies of the South Coast Region Systems Plan and the GVRD. These
include important projects such as addressing constraints and providing additional
capacity along the Trans Canada Highway east and west of the Port Mann Bridge, addressing
congestion through the Cape Horn interchange, and development of the South Fraser
Perimeter Road. Progress on these programs may benefit from better definition of the long
range concept for an additional Fraser River Crossing. Better definition of the crossing
corridor may also assist regional and municipal planning interests prepare for the
significant influence a new river crossing would be expected to generate.
In addition to building compatibility with
other provincial, regional, and municipal transportation programs, the current crossing
service within the physical study area (i.e., the Albion Ferry) has been down loaded from
provincial to regional jurisdiction. This service, now operated by the GVTA, is considered
to have high annual costs and the existing ferry vessels are approaching the end of their
service life. Therefore, there exists an added interest in an additional crossing of the
Fraser River as an ultimate replacement and upgrade to the existing ferry operation.
Objectives
To satisfy planning for the long term and
apparent shorter term requirements, this study was developed with the following specific
objectives.
- develop an understanding of the nature of
demand for an additional Fraser River Crossing and determine the appropriate role and
function for such a facility;
- conduct broad agency consultations for
the purposes of acquiring current information and perspectives that would contribute to
determination of role and function;
- incorporate high level planning policies
of the Greater Vancouver Regional District with respect to land use growth and management
in the lower mainland;
- organize the information and develop
conceptual designs of high level facilities to an extent that would facilitate a
comparative evaluation of the corridor options;
- develop and evaluate low cost, low level
options as possible alternates to high level highway facilities; and
- prepare a comparative evaluation in a
suitable framework that makes it possible to identify and evaluate important tradeoffs
between the corridor options.
Results
Based on the effort and results of this
study, described in this report, we have concluded that many of the study objectives have
been achieved. Existing documentation of an additional Fraser River Crossing concept has
been assembled with more current information on land use and transportation in the overall
study area to provide a consolidated foundation for consideration of the crossing. Liaison
with relevant agencies has provided meaningful input and has started the process towards
more comprehensive consultations.
This considerable background information
and agency input has characterized an increasing travel demand between the North and South
Fraser River communities within the GVRD. Upon review of employment and population growth
trends, both historic and strategic, the background information supporting this
characterization is sound.
Functionally, total probable traffic
estimates indicate the need for a higher order facility. Within the context of the
boundary conditions characterized by the TCH (Urban Freeway) and the Lougheed Highway
(Urban Expressway/Arterial) the possible function of the additional Fraser River Crossing
is framed. Based on the anticipated travel demand characteristics and the boundary
conditions, the desired role for an additional Fraser River Crossing should be for
regional/provincial mobility (with emphasis on the regional aspect). The function of the
additional Fraser River Crossing should be Urban Expressway (Provincial Highway or GVTA
Major Road) or a high order Arterial as a minimum.
Conceptual designs have been developed
consistent with this desired role and function and to a level that permits issue
identification, impact assessments, and probable cost/benefit assessment. Several
alternatives for each of the crossing location options were developed based on design
criteria established to suit the desired role and function. Results of a preliminary
evaluation, based on technical and environmental assessment activities associated with
this study, permitted selection of alignments and facility configurations that reasonably
reflect the opportunities at each of the crossing option locations. These can be described
as follows:
- Option 1 - Do nothing -
While not technically a crossing option, not completing a new link in the
provincial/regional network represents a base case from which make relative comparisons.
For these base case comparisons, most of the analysis and evaluation is completed for the
horizon year 2021 and assumes 8 lanes on the Port Mann Bridge by that time.
High Level Options
High Level Options have been defined as
those that meet the established Role and Function for an additional Fraser River Crossing,
namely to serve regional and provincial mobility along an urban expressway. The
configuration of this expressway includes 2 general purpose lanes in each direction and
safely conveys traffic at a posted speed of up to 90 km/h. The crossing structures also
meet regulated navigable water requirements, although in the case of one of the options
(i.e., the Cottonwood crossing option) the regulated clearance chosen reflects a location
just upstream of it’s actual location with the assumption that this will gain
approval. The High Level Options can be generally described as follows:
- Option 2 - Barnston Crossing - Alignment A3 was developed as an Urban Expressway with 2 general purpose lanes in each
direction and meeting navigable water clearance requirements (i.e., 45.7 m over
Parson’s Channel and tunneling beneath the main arm of the Fraser River).
- Option 3 - 200th
Street Crossing - Alignment B2 was developed as an Urban Expressway with 2
general purpose lanes in each direction and meeting navigable water clearance requirements
(i.e., 45.7 m over the main arm of the Fraser River)
- Option 4 - Cottonwood Crossing
- Alignment C3 was developed as an Urban Expressway with 2 general purpose lanes in each
direction and meeting navigable water clearance requirements within close proximity to the
crossing location (i.e., 27.4 m over the main arm of the Fraser River)
Low Level Options
This study recognizes that the existing
Albion Ferry operation has been transferred to the GVTA. Furthermore, it is understood
that operating costs for this service run about $4 million per year, and that the ferry
vessels are approaching the end of their service life. From this, the concept of a low
level/low cost crossing is borne and considered to be a short to long term solution for
replacing and improving the existing Albion Ferry service across the Fraser River.
To achieve economies, Low Level Options are
defined in two ways:
- Low level options may employ smaller,
less costly structures which may not conform to regulated marine clearance and/or they may
employ moveable bridge spans to facilitate all marine movements; and
- Low level options may provide reduced
capacity (i.e., two lane facility).
Based on these defining characteristics,
the low level options are not expected to serve an equivalent role and function to the
high level options previously introduced. It is envisaged that these options would
comprise two lane facilities and serve regional/municipal mobility.
The main constraint associated with the
development of low level options is the marine navigation requirements (the vertical
clearance requirement east of the Port Mann Bridge is constant at 45.7m up to Kanaka
Creek, and at this point, the vertical clearance criteria to that at the Mission Bridge or
about 27.4m). Unfortunately, there is very little marine traffic data readily available to
perform any analysis of marine versus traffic conflict impacts to help optimize a crossing
profile or configuration.
Low level options are not considered to be
feasible at either the Barnston and 200th Street Crossing options due to an
anticipated higher frequency of larger vessel marine movements. Marine traffic would have
right-of-way and interruption of peak bridge traffic may create sizable queues that would
take hours to discharge. Low level options may also be problematic at the Cottonwood
location because of a similar probability of severe traffic delays, although the location
is upstream of where high use by larger marine vessels has been reported. Therefore, and
because the Cottonwood Crossing alignments are very close to Kanaka Creek, the geographic
boundary where clearance requirements begin to relax, it is considered reasonable to
expect that a lower clearance may be permitted.
Marine industry and traffic diminishes in
the vicinity of, and upstream of Kanaka Creek. Therefore, based on the possibility river
navigation requirements will be less, it is estimated that low level options are most
feasible near this area which includes the Albion Crossing locations, and possibly the
Cottonwood Crossing location as well.
The lowest cost of potential alignment
alternatives would be one that maximizes the existing infrastructure serving as the
approach to the existing Albion Ferry service. Therefore, low level options developed for
this study include the following:
- Option 5A - Albion Crossing
- Alignment D2 was developed as lower capacity roadway facility using predominantly
existing infrastructure (including the existing bridge over Bedford Channel) and crossing
the main arm of the Fraser River on a low profile structure (10 m clearance) with moveable
bridge spans for facilitating passage of larger marine vessels.
- Option 5B - Albion Crossing
- Alignment D5 developed as lower capacity roadway facility using existing infrastructure
but including a substantial by-pass to the west and south of Fort Langley, and crossing
the main arm of the Fraser River on a low level structure (less than 27.4 m clearance) and
Bedford Channel on a new structure with similar low profile to that of the existing
Bedford Channel Bridge.
Traffic impacts to Fort Langley are
expected to be significant under Alignment D2, and while some mitigation of these impacts
and their associated costs have been incorporated into this alternative, operational
difficulties are expected to remain.
As an alternate to the low profile Albion
option, a comparable concept for a low profile crossing at the Cottonwood location has
also been explored. It has been stated that low profile options at this location may be
problematic. However, rationale for development of this alternative also relates to
Cottonwood’s proximity to the east, where large vessel marine traffic is expected to
decline, and to an attempt to avoid significant traffic impacts to Fort Langley. Upgrading
a low level facility to high level at Cottonwood is also a possibility that does not exist
at the Albion location. This alternative can be generally described as follows:
- Option 4B - Cottonwood Crossing - Alignment
C3 Low Profile was developed as a lower capacity highway with 2 general purpose
lanes (1 in each direction) at-grade intersections with the supporting road network, grade
separation of the CPR lines, Haney Bypass, and Lougheed, and a low profile bridge using
moveable spans crossing the Fraser River.
Evaluation
In addition to development of the
alignments and facility configurations, transportation analysis associated with this study
tested the alternative crossing locations, through the use of the emme/2 transportation
model, on their own and with various network, land use, and demand management sensitivity
tests.
The base case modeling parameters selected
for this transportation analysis was the 2021 horizon year assuming 8-lanes on the Port
Mann bridge, the Historic Trend Scenario (HTS) land use scenario, and the GVRD tolling
strategy for all bridge crossings. From this, important observations made about forecasted
demand included the following:
- Forecasts for the base case indicate a
significant and relatively consistent demand in the peak direction over each of the
crossing options (i.e., about 3900 to 4450 vehicles per hour (vph) on the high level
facilities and about 2250 vph on the low level facility).
- This demand is representative of the full
capacity of the two (or single in the case of the low level) general purpose lanes per
direction of travel adopted for this urban expressway.
- Peak direction is southbound across the
Fraser River and predominantly comprises trips from Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows to
Surrey/Langley.
- Relief to other bridges in the area is
not substantial.
Sensitivity testing was conducted to
determine how robust our interpretation and/or conclusions were relative to the base case.
These tests included consideration of the scenario where only 5 lanes would be available
on the Port Mann bridge, that the Growth Management Strategy (GMS) land use projections
are achieved instead of the HTS projections, and that the tolling strategy is not
implemented.
The effects of limiting capacity on the
Port Mann Bridge (i.e., to 5 lanes) does not alter these broad conclusions. The GMS land
use assumptions strengthen the interaction between the observed predominant
origin/destination pairs. And should tolling not be implemented, the increased travel
demand is generated proportionally among origins.
Essentially, there appears to be a
significant demand between the land uses on either side of the Fraser River, mainly
between Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows and north Surrey/Langley. We have concluded that these
predominant origin/destination pairs account for up to 85 percent of the trip demand for
the crossing. Furthermore, we have concluded that this demand is characteristic of
intra-regional or inter-municipal travel, and in the setting described, this would be
consistent with the GVRD’s Livable Region Strategic Plan. Therefore, we find that
this study supports a conclusion that an additional Fraser River Crossing is needed.
In terms of time frame, there appears
support for the crossing in the near term. Forecasts indicate that demand in 2006 will be
55 to 60 percent of the 2021 demand. While this is significantly less traffic than
anticipated in 2021, it still represents a substantial proportion of the proposed capacity
of the crossing. Therefore, subsequent planning efforts may wish to reconsider when supply
can be provided. It has been acknowledged that acceleration of the project may be
inconsistent with the LRSP and Transport 2021 which have identified an
additional Fraser River Crossing as a long term priority. In this context, other regional
transportation policies, plans, and priorities need to considered.
The results of the technical development of
alternatives, environmental assessment, and transportation analysis have facilitated a
comparative evaluation between the crossing options. This evaluation was structured into a
Multiple Account Evaluation framework where the main accounts included Financial, Customer
Service, Socio/Community, Economic Development, and Environmental.
High Level Options
With respect to this comparison, it is
apparent to us that the 200th Street and Cottonwood options emerge as
preferential High Level candidates for further consideration. This conclusion is based on
acknowledgment of the substantial challenges associated with the Barnston option as
follows:
Rejection of the Barnston High
Level Option
We have concluded that the Barnston
crossing option will be the most costly and risky from an implementation perspective.
Furthermore, significant environmental issues confront the approvals associated with this
option. It was hoped that the Barnston option would perform a superior provincial role
than other options. Based on model results, this now does not appear to be the situation.
Therefore, we have concluded that this location option should be dropped from further
consideration.
Preferential High Level
Candidates
By the process of setting aside the
Barnston, we are left with the 200th Street and Cottonwood options. Each of
these will serve the anticipated demand well. However, we have concluded that the 200th
Street option is better aligned to a balanced north/south travel "desire-line"
and also less likely to induce pressure to expand urban growth boundaries in Maple Ridge
and Pitt Meadows. This option is also attractive due to it’s avoidance of sensitive
lands and probably less controversial, although more costly, land requirements. This
option will probably be more costly overall than the Cottonwood option mainly due to the
bridge structure, which meets a higher clearance requirement and is nearly twice as long
to span a wider reach of the Fraser River.
The Cottonwood option is attractive because
it may be achieved at lower costs and it serves the anticipated regional demand reasonably
well. Staging opportunities were also identified here that could make use of reduced
capacity fixed bridge structure or moveable bridge span technology. The later presents a
viable alternative to the Low Level concept introduced at the Albion location. Risks
cited, however, are that this location may contribute to longer trip making using the TCH
(i.e., Mission to the TCH and west bound). This may represent an increase in pressure to
expand urban growth boundaries in Maple Ridge and Langley, which may also impact upon
existing ALR.
Low Level Options
The Albion options have been developed to a
lower standard and with half the capacity of the other options. This is mainly because it
was recognized that traffic impacts to MacMillan Island and Fort Langley would be
significant. Additional assessment has also concluded that traffic operations under the
reduced capacity scenario will still be difficult to manage without severe traffic impacts
to Fort Langley.
An alternate to the low level/low profile
alignment at Albion was developed at the Cottonwood location. Here, reduced capacity
roadway and crossing is feasible and comparable in terms of cost to the Albion option. It
can also be delivered in a manner that would not preclude upgrading to a high level
facility at some future time frame.
Therefore, because the low level options at
the Albion location will not meet, and/or facilitate staging for, the long term demand
requirements, and they retain significant impacts to Fort Langley, this location should be
dropped from further consideration. Should a low level/low profile alternative be pursued,
then the Cottonwood C3Low Profile Alignment should be considered the
preferential candidate.
Risks
and Opportunities
There are risks and opportunities in
pursing any of the additional Fraser River Crossing options. Important considerations for
future planning and engineering of this project should include the following;
High Level Options
Capital Costs
Probable capital costs prepared for this
study are very preliminary and based on conceptual planning work. These were developed for
comparison purposes only and should not be relied upon for budget purposes. For example, a
key challenge/constraint in all of the options explored is the geotechnical conditions to
support a major bridge. This challenge has not been adequately quantified to advise on the
absolute cost implication for a particular option. It has been sufficient to assume that
the risk is equal among options to facilitate comparison.
Marine Navigation Requirements
and Bridge Capital Costs
The High Level crossing at Cottonwood has
assumed qualified compliance with regulated marine navigational clearance requirements.
Due to the proximity of the Cottonwood alignment to Kanaka Creek, the geographic boundary
where navigable water requirements begin to relax, it has been assumed that the reduced
regulated clearance could be applied for and approved. If approval of the regulated
clearance criteria for upstream of Kanaka Creek can not be obtained for use at the
Cottonwood location, then apparent economies from the scale of bridge crossing
dematerializes.
Some additional study into marine traffic
would contribute to a better understanding of opportunities for lower profile structures,
both at the high level and low level options. Furthermore, this data would be essential to
evaluate operation feasibility of moveable bridge span options (i.e., impacts to both
marine and vehicular traffic in the context of established service level requirements).
Staging of Project Development
and Investment
Under an accelerated project scenario,
opportunities for project staging may be desirable and key factors in the evaluation of
the options. Opportunities may exist with the Cottonwood and 200th Street
option as follows:
- Cottonwood Staging -
Land is currently owned for an interchange between a new Cottonwood Expressway with Haney
By-pass/Lougheed Highway. Starting from the north, the corridor could be developed
initially to 96th Avenue. Furthermore, and depending on marine clearance
approvals, it may be possible to stage construction of the superstructure and provide a
narrower crossing initially (i.e., build ultimate north bound lanes and use them for
two-way traffic in the interim). We know the demand will be strong and the risk is that
impacts to 96th Avenue may be significant requiring some widening of this
municipal route to accommodate increased traffic.
- The 200th Street
option has staging potential related to specific components. If pursued immediately,
planning and design of the 200th Street interchange to accommodate this
corridor could be completed as part of the current 200th Street interchange
project. The arterial network on the south side of the Fraser River may also be adequate
for an interim term until full upgrading to urban expressway standard can be achieved.
Current municipal plans for upgrading and development of Maple Meadows Way and the
supporting municipal network could also be modified to receive the proposed crossing in
the future. However, with respect to cash flow, a more significant share of the full costs
is tied to the main structure.
Customer Service - Future
Economic Development Potential
Among the preferred candidates, 200th
Street possess better opportunities for expressway/urban arterial connectivity to the
south. These extended corridors exist along 200th Street to the concept of a
Highway 1 to Highway 99 Connector being developed by Surrey, and along Highway 15 (176th
Street). There is better potential here for regional trips between the predominant
origin/destination pairs to stay on regional/municipal facilities. The Cottonwood
alignment terminates at the TCH which may promote short distance travel on the TCH when
approaching or departing from the new Fraser River Crossing.
Customer Service - Regional and
Municipal Road Network Planning
We have described the apparent attraction
between the communities on the north and south sides of the Fraser River as an opportunity
realized with the implementation of an additional Fraser River Crossing. Furthermore, from
the analysis, it is apparent that this demand filters in to the municipal sub-sectors
quickly after crossing the river. Impacts to the existing regional and municipal road
network may be significant requiring upgrades and/or redistribution of existing capital
programming within the municipalities most affected. This challenge is presented as a risk
in terms of managing stakeholder participation. Some municipalities may have better
resources to participate with network upgrading to fully realize the synergy between the
north and south Fraser River communities.
Low Level Options
The chief opportunity with a low level/low
cost facility is the prospect of delivering some capacity that is compatible with the LRSP
sooner than later. Between the options identified, each will achieve a modified role and
function with respect to mobility and capacity compared to the high level options. Risks
can be summarized as follows:
- There are concerns with respect to the
Albion through town alignments and impacts to the character of Fort Langley that may
require consideration of more progressive traffic diversion from Fort Langley. Therefore,
there is a risk in assuming that the low cost option through Fort Langley can be easily
achieved.
- The magnitude of traffic demand
forecasted, on a per lane basis, exceeds the capacity normally assigned for general
purpose through lanes on a continuous facility. In a confined urban situation (i.e., Fort
Langley) with cross street traffic and pedestrian movements, the forecasted demand will
not be served on a two lane roadway. Therefore, the bridge crossing the Fraser River may
be a two lane facility, but additional lanes will likely be needed on the approaches to
both ends of the bridge to manage the converging and diverging movements.
- The through town option (D2) relies on
the existing bridge over Bedford Channel. This is a narrow two lane bridge that also
serves as pedestrian access to MacMillan Island. The intersection of the proposed 96th
Avenue connector is squeezed between the abutment to this bridge, the CNR lines, and
important commercial land uses. It will be very difficult to make traffic operations work
along this configuration. It will be even more difficult to maintain safe pedestrian
access to MacMillan Island and integrate transit priority measures along this option
without substantial upgrading of this existing bridge.
- There is a risk that a low level fixed
structure will not get approval (because of navigable water requirements) and a moveable
bridge alternative is the only other low cost option available. With a moveable bridge,
impacts to marine traffic and probable delays to road traffic have not been addressed.
In summary, while a low level option in the
vicinity of the Albion location appears technically feasible either through town or on a
by-pass, significant traffic impacts to Fort Langley and capacity limitations for the
future consideration present unfavorable evaluation results. Furthermore, while the
through town alignment appears very attractive from an equivalent investment perspective
relative to the existing ferry service, proper acknowledgment of probable impacts and
mitigation planning may increase costs significantly. Consultations with Fort Langley and
the Township of Langley will be necessary to fully assess these risks and the opportunity.
An alternate to the low cost Albion,
located along the Cottonwood alignment is also feasible at a moderate
and more predictable premium in overall
costs. Should a low level/low profile option be pursued, the Cottonwood C3 Low
Profile location should be considered.
Implementation
Scenarios
Given the assessment of these low level
alternatives, and considering the long term demand for a high level crossing of the Fraser
River, the following implementation scenarios are recommended for further review:
- 200th Street B2 High Level by 2021
- Cottonwood C3 High Level by 2021
- 200th Street B2 High Level (Stage 1: High Level
Crossing with arterial functioning route between TCH and Lougheed) before 2006 and Upgrade
(Stage 2: Urban Expressway function between TCH and Lougheed) by 2021
- Cottonwood C3 High Level (Stage 1: Lougheed to 96th
Avenue) before 2006 and Upgrade (Stage 2: 96th Avenue to TCH) by 2021
- Cottonwood C3 Low Profile before 2006 and High
Level Upgrade in 2021
- Cottonwood C3 Low Profile before 2006 and 200th
B2 High Level by 2021
In each of the above, the need for a high
level facility in 2021 is based on the projected demand determined from the Transportation
Analysis activity. This demand is significant and even exceeds the probable effective
capacity of the stipulated four lane divided expressway facility used in the
transportation model. Therefore, while investment in an interim or staging strategy
accommodates the apparent immediate demand, it does not defer the ultimate need for
assured north/south capacity across the Fraser River in the vicinity of Pitt Meadows/Maple
Ridge and Surrey/Langley.
Among the next stages to pursue in
development of an additional Fraser River Crossing Project and implementation strategy,
municipal and public consultations, investment strategies, and marine socio-economic
analyses are required to frame final planning and design of the best alternatives, and
selection of the preferred implementation scenario.
Closure
This study provides detailed information
from which to distinguish these options. However, as consultations have not yet been
completed, it is premature for us to assign weights and rankings to adjudicate a preferred
option for a positive single solution recommendation. Instead, we offer the following:
-
It is recommended that the need for an
additional Fraser River Crossing described in this report be acknowledged and that the
role and function be confirmed as providing for regional/provincial long term mobility
along a High Level facility;
- It is recommended that should a low level facility be
pursued to serve the interim demand, then one of the staging scenarios involving the
Cottonwood alignment be considered; and
- It is further recommended that all
options developed as part of this study be maintained for the purposes of sharing this
process in more comprehensive consultations but that additional investment in planning and
engineering recognize that the 200th Street and Cottonwood options are the only
viable candidates examined in this study that will satisfy the long term demand.
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