Cost of key Pitt Meadows rail crossing triples, city asked to chip in $50M – BC | 24CA News
The City of Pitt Meadows, B.C., is going through an surprising monetary crunch after being requested to contribute $50 million for a badly-needed rail underpass.
The venture is supposed to handle visitors congestion on Harris Road the place the route intersects Canadian Pacific Rail’s rail hall.
Rail visitors on the busy crossing leads to about 3.5 hours of car visitors stoppage per day, and is estimated to greater than double within the coming decade.
The price of the venture was assessed in 2017 at $63.3 million, with no contribution from the town. Project prices have now greater than tripled to over $190 million.
On Tuesday, the town heard a presentation from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority warning that with out a contribution for $49.6 million from the town, the venture may very well be in danger.
“We were not (originally) a funding partner,” Pitt Meadows Mayor Nicole MacDonald advised Global News.
“So now to see the city of Pitt Meadows with residents of 20,000, less than 20,000, and a small business community, being asked for $50 million, it’s not sitting well with many of our residents.”
Pitt Meadows’ whole 2023 funds, permitted in December, is available in at simply $50 million.
MacDonald stated the change places the town in a troublesome scenario as a result of the crucial crossing is already going through difficult train-related delays.
The metropolis is residence to the second largest industrial park in B.C. and an Amazon distribution warehouse, she stated, whereas CP has indicated it plans to maneuver ahead with a rail enlargement no matter whether or not the underpass is constructed.
“The current crossing is in the top three per cent riskiest rail crossings in the nation, it’s the second busiest in the Lower Mainland,” she stated.
“Obviously safety and the health of our public remains number one. As well, you see the escalation of rail and truck traffic and vehicle traffic are going to have a significant effect on the living quality for our community members, economic viability, so we need a solution. We need an underpass.”
Devan Fitch, program director of Roberts Bank Terminal Two with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, advised Global News the elevated venture price was resulting from a number of elements.
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Construction prices have confronted vital inflation lately, whereas there have been design code modifications that now require the venture to be constructed to a better customary of seismic security, he stated.
The complexity of the venture has additionally turned out to be increased than initially anticipated, he added.
“The 2017 estimate was a point in time estimate based on design measured in a few months, with very little stakeholder consultations and no side investigations,” Fitch stated.
“We’ve seen over the four or five years a global pandemic, geopolitical instability affecting supply chains and rates of construction cost inflation that we quite frankly haven’t seen in many decades.”
Fitch stated these price pressures have been baked into the brand new venture funds, and that the port authority was “confident” the brand new numbers had been stable.
But he stated the brand new venture funds estimate was additionally time delicate — and that resulting from inflation within the development trade each extra month of delay would add an estimated $1 million to the entire price.
“The decision before us and the city of Pitt Meadows, is do they get the right level of benefit relative to the cost, and if the answer is yes, then we can move forward,” he stated.
“And if the answer is no, then the project won’t go forward.”
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CP Rail declined an interview request, and referred inquiries to the port authority.
MacDonald stated the town was now scrambling for a inventive resolution that may nonetheless see the crossing upgraded with out leaving taxpayers with a monetary burden they’ll’t afford.
She stated the town was against an overpass instead, noting that whereas preliminary price estimates had been decrease than the underpass they may nonetheless climb simply because the underpass did as soon as it was absolutely fleshed out.
She stated an overpass would additionally go away the town on the hook for ongoing upkeep and insurance coverage prices.
The metropolis is now going to senior ranges of presidency and Transport Canada in search of monetary assist.
If the town isn’t capable of safe that funding, it must put the matter to a referendum amongst residents and companies, she stated.
“We are focused on finding solutions as we know this is critical infrastructure for our community,” MacDonald stated.
“This isn’t a want, this is a need.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
