Coquitlam to see traffic delays as crews begin work to replace 1950-built water main
You can expect some traffic delays soon if you’re travelling in Coquitlam between Pier Drive and Cawthra Court on Dewdney Trunk Road.
Starting on Feb. 9, this section of road will have single-alternating traffic for about five days as Metro Vancouver prepares the area for the upcoming Dewdney Trunk Road Water Main construction.
They will be removing trees and conducting test hole investigations, which look for the existing underground utilities to confirm their location to prevent conflicts during construction, according to an email from Metro Vancouver.
In a traffic advisory, the region advises motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians to “plan an alternate route if possible.”
Currently, Metro Vancouver is in the process of replacing an old water main built in 1950 that has reached the end of its service life.
The new water main will be about 1.6 kilometres long, running along Dewdney Trunk Road between Lougheed Highway and Pier Drive.
Metro Vancouver/Submitted
“This drinking water infrastructure project will contribute to the long-term prosperity, sustainability and livability of the Metro Vancouver region,” said Joel Melanson, Metro Vancouver’s director of water services engineering design and construction, in an email to Daily Hive in early January.
It is “designed to meet the growing demand for drinking water in the region,” he said.
Construction of the water main
Since Jan. 5, Metro Vancouver has been constructing a section of the water main on Dewdney Trunk Road, between Marina Way and Lougheed Highway. The work on this section is expected to last another two months.
Metro Vancouver expects the construction of the water main to go into early 2027.
They also plan to start building the Cape Horn Section of the Coquitlam Water Main this fall. It is a 12-kilometre water main, with construction split into four sections.
The Cape Horn Section is about four kilometres long, running from Westwood Street and Dewdney Trunk Road to Hickey Drive and Mariner Way.
The region says they are coordinating both water mains’ construction schedules in an effort to reduce construction impacts on the community.