Mountain Highway Interchange on the North Shore reaches completion

A major phase of the Highway 1 Lower Lynn Interchanges project near the northern end of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge in North Vancouver District reached completion this week.

The new Mountain Highway Interchange offers a new eastbound off-ramp, new westbound on-ramp, five-lane Mountain Highway underpass, and the widening and realignment of Mountain Highway.

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The three interchanges on Highway 1 within Lower Lynn were first designed and built over 50 years ago. They are being rebuilt as their capacity and functional designs are outdated, including the incorporation of safer merge lanes that will reduce the risk of vehicle crashes by about 33%.

The original 2016 proposal for the new Mountain Highway interchange. (Image by: Government of BC)

Further major phases of the Keith Road interchange and Main Street interchange will reach completion in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, respectively. All components of the project should reach full completion by Fall 2021.

The new roadway designs incorporate new bike lanes, sidewalks, trails, and multi-use pathways to improve walking, cycling, and transit use on the corridor.

When the improvement project is fully complete, Highway 1 travel during peak hours is expected to be reduced by at least nine minutes in the eastbound direction and four minutes in the westbound direction between the top of the cut to mid-span Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. Approximately 120,000 people travel along the corridor on a daily basis.

“We recognize that commuters on the North Shore are frustrated with congestion that significantly increases travel times. With Phase 1 of the project now complete, we’re pleased to share that those travelling throughout the North Shore will experience improved connections and traffic flow,” said Mike Little, mayor of North Vancouver District, in a statement.

The combined project cost of all phases is $198 million, with the provincial government contributing $76.7 million, federal government offering $66.6 million, and North Vancouver District providing $54.7 million.

Diagram of the Highway 1 Lower Lynn Interchanges project in North Vancouver. (Government of BC)