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In 1998, MoTH contracted with UMA Engineering Ltd.,
working with Golder Associates Ltd., CWMM Consulting Engineers Ltd. and Arthur Andersen
LLP, to undertake the New Westminster Area Network Study. The study’s primary
objective was to develop and evaluate long-term network improvements in the following two
corridors, shown in Fig 1:
The North-South Corridor would use one or more of the
following elements to form a continuous link between Highways 1 and 91, emphasizing the
movement of people:
- increased capacity across the North Arm of the Fraser River, either
via improvements to the Queensborough Bridge corridor or via a new link in the vicinity of
Tree Island
- the Marine-10th Connector, providing a new link from the intersection
of Marine Drive and Byrne Road to the intersection of 10th Avenue at 20th Street
- improvements to the 10th Avenue corridor
- the Stormont-McBride Connector, linking the intersection of 10th
Avenue and McBride Boulevard to the Cariboo interchange on Highway 1
The East-West Corridor would emphasize goods movement, and
incorporate improvements to one or more of the following:
- Stewardson Way
- Front Street around downtown New Westminster
- Columbia Street and Brunette Avenue leading towards Coquitlam
- United Boulevard through Coquitlam to the Cape Horn interchange,
including the new United Boulevard Extension from King Edward Street to Brunette Avenue
The study was sponsored by the Ministry of
Transportation and Highways and the BC Transportation Financing Authority. Some of the
subject roads are under provincial jurisdiction, while others are regional or municipal.
The study developed a series of findings to facilitate decision-making activities among
interested parties.
Other agencies consulted for the project included
the Greater Vancouver Regional District, TransLink, Insurance Corporation of BC, and
the four municipalities represented in the Study Area: New Westminster, Burnaby,
Coquitlam, and Richmond. However, the final document reflects the findings of the
provincial consultant, and not necessarily the policies of all agencies.
The project was divided into
four phases, presented below: Background Profile, System-Level Analysis, Initial Multiple
Accounts Evaluation (Initial MAE), and Final MAE.
Phase 1:
Background Profile
The background profile assembled information from
earlier studies on the following topics:
- Transportation looked at existing and future road conditions.
Traffic volumes are high, including many through trips that neither begin nor end in the
Study Area. Congestion is common at many locations, leading to higher travel times and
safety concerns at some locations. Roads in the East-West Corridor have an above-average
concentration of truck traffic. Left untreated, problems in the Study Area will get worse
as the region grows.
-
Socio-Community Overview examined the present and future land
uses. The study corridors are primarily urban. Large industrial zones currently exist
around the Queensborough Bridge in New Westminster, the Big Bend site in Burnaby, and the
United Boulevard corridor in Coquitlam. Future
industrial/business park development will primarily be confined to these areas.
Residential uses exist at various locations throughout both of the corridors. Future
residential development will focus in certain communities, such as the Edmonds Town Centre
and Cariboo Heights areas of Burnaby. Major open spaces include the Big Bend area, the
lands along Byrne Creek, and the George Derby/Brunette River Conservation Area immediately
south of Highway 1 and Gaglardi Way.
- Environmental
Impact Assessment focused on rivers and creeks that could be impacted by road
construction: the North Arm of the Fraser River, Byrne Creek, and the Brunette River. The
natural areas mentioned above were also examined. The findings revealed that the proposed
Tree Island Crossing would be constructed in a highly productive and diverse area of the
Fraser River, raising the potential for undesirable habitat alienation and alteration. The
Stormont-McBride Connector would disrupt wildlife, vegetation and drainage on the George
Derby lands and adjacent parkland. Both of these projects would require appropriate
mitigation measures.
- Environmental
Site Assessment identified properties that may have soil and/or groundwater
contamination. A preliminary risk evaluation was developed on the basis of historical and
current land use. Higher-risk sites tended to be concentrated in existing or historical
industrial areas, in the Tree Island area as well as eastern New Westminster. These sites
would require treatment before any roads can be built on them.
- Sub-Surface Conditions examined
geotechnical issues that might affect road development. Primary concerns are in the
Queensborough, Tree Island, Big Bend and Fraser Mills areas, where the soils are highly
compressible. This would affect the design and cost of road construction.
Level Three
(Consultant's Key Findings)
Level Two
Level One
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