Major new Lougheed Highway intersection in Metro Vancouver proposed

Mar 27 2023, 9:07 pm

The provincial government is seeking public input on its proposed new design for a major intersection of Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) in the northeast sector of Metro Vancouver.

The intersection of Lougheed Highway and Harris Road in Pitt Meadows will be redesigned, including the construction of two new additional intersections — located about 150 metres north of Lougheed Highway on Harris Road, and about 200 metres west of Harris Road on Lougheed Highway.

Both intersections will be connected by a new five-lane connector roadway to enable more capacity for vehicle traffic to flow and turn between Harris Road and Lougheed Highway.

The provincial government states the upgrades are necessary due to the frequency and severity of crashes at the intersection, and a significant increase in traffic congestion at the intersection over the past five years, especially during weekday peak periods and Saturdays, which “causes driver frustration and a high proportion of rear-end crashes.”

Existing intersection design:

lougheed highway 7 harris road intersection upgrades 8

Existing design of the intersection of Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) and Harris Road in Pitt Meadows. Eastbound perspective. (Google Maps)

lougheed highway 7 harris road intersection upgrades 8

Existing design of the intersection of Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) and Harris Road in Pitt Meadows. (Google Maps)

Future intersection design:

lougheed highway 7 harris road intersection upgrades

Proposed new design for the intersection of Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) and Harris Road in Pitt Meadows. (Government of BC)

By shifting northbound and eastbound left turns to the new locations, there will be more capacity to reduce the likelihood of collisions at the intersection. The travel time savings through the intersection for some turning movements in the afternoon peak period in 2035 are expected to be as much as 57% per vehicle.

As well, the forecasted population growth of 20% in Pitt Meadows and 30% in Maple Ridge by 2041, which necessitates more road capacity.

There will also be reduced traffic signal delays and optimized traffic signals between the intersections to decrease the likelihood of collisions.

lougheed highway 7 harris road intersection upgrades

Proposed new design for the intersection of Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) and Harris Road in Pitt Meadows. (Government of BC)

lougheed highway 7 harris road intersection upgrades

Proposed new design for the intersection of Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) and Harris Road in Pitt Meadows. (Government of BC)

lougheed highway 7 harris road intersection upgrades

Proposed new design for the intersection of Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) and Harris Road in Pitt Meadows. (Government of BC)

The project’s components will also provide features that benefit public transit buses, pedestrians, and cyclists.

New bus bays will be created on Lougheed Highway on the west side of Harris Road to provide better pedestrian connectivity and minimize conflict with vehicles. A new ramping pedestrian overpass over Lougheed Highway will be built west of Harris Road to improve connectivity for both pedestrians and cyclists.

Both bus stops in the area are currently served by TransLink’s R3 Lougheed Highway RapidBus service between SkyTrain Coquitlam Central Station and Haney Place in Maple Ridge. The public transit authority has plans to upgrade the R3 into a bus rapid transit (BRT) service over the coming decade.

Other public transit improvements planned by the provincial government for the intersection entail a new bus-only turning lane from northbound Harris Road to westbound Lougheed Highway.

lougheed highway 7 harris road intersection upgrades

Proposed new design for the intersection of Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) and Harris Road in Pitt Meadows. (Government of BC)

lougheed highway 7 harris road intersection upgrades

Proposed new design for the intersection of Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) and Harris Road in Pitt Meadows. (Government of BC)

Along the south side of Lougheed Highway in the area, over a length of about 800 metres, a new four-metre-wide, multi-use pathway will be built for pedestrians and cyclists.

Over the longer term, beyond this project scope, the new additional north intersection could become the starting point of the new North Lougheed Connector road.

The provincial government’s online survey on the proposed design is open through April 24, 2023. Feedback gained from this public consultation will be used to finalize the design in 2024.

Existing intersection design:

lougheed highway 7 harris road intersection upgrades 8

Existing design of the intersection of Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) and Harris Road in Pitt Meadows. (Google Maps)

Future intersection design:

lougheed highway 7 harris road intersection upgrades f

Proposed new design for the intersection of Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) and Harris Road in Pitt Meadows. (Government of BC)

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