Sites are now being cleared to make way for the Broadway Subway Project, which will transform how people get around in one of the busiest areas of Vancouver.
"The Government of Canada is making historic investments in infrastructure projects that create jobs in the short term, create growth in the long term and tackle climate change," said the Honourable Catherine McKenna, federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. "The Broadway Subway Project will introduce a new transportation option along one of Vancouver's busiest corridors, helping reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, while keeping pace with the city's growing ridership. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities."
Some building demolition is necessary to construct six new station entrances and create laydown areas that will be used as work staging and storage. This will help keep construction activity off Broadway and adjacent streets as much as possible, mitigating disruption and managing safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.
The first buildings slated for removal are on the 100 block of East Broadway and 2500 block of Main Street for the future Mount Pleasant Station. This work will have minimal impact on traffic and transit service. However, street parking will be limited during work. All demolition work is anticipated to be completed by the end of April 2021, in preparation for the start of station construction.
The project's design-build contractor, Broadway Subway Project Corporation, began working on site in fall 2020, with a focus on surveying and removing hazardous materials from buildings. Other preliminary work underway includes relocating utilities and conducting geotechnical investigations. The contractor is also working to finalize designs for the new stations, which will be presented at a public open house in the spring.
Major works will start this spring. Upcoming construction activities will include the tunnel portal and elevated guideway near Great Northern Way, with tunnelling to begin in 2022. More detailed information on construction methods and timing will be provided in advance of these activities.
When completed in 2025, the Broadway Subway will provide fast and frequent SkyTrain service to B.C.'s second-largest jobs centre, health-care services, an emerging innovation and research hub, and growing residential communities.
