9 major projects in Metro Vancouver starting construction in 2024

Artistic renderings of the new PNE Amphitheatre (PNE) | Green Timbers Station on the new Surrey-Langley SkyTrain (Government of BC)

Although there is currently a slowdown of residential and commercial projects in Metro Vancouver due to market conditions, the same cannot be said for the coming wave of shovels that will hit the ground for major and unique civic and transportation infrastructure, and cultural and tourism attractions.

And of course, this is already on top of everything that is under construction, with 2024 also expected to see a major wave of completions.

Everything from a major outdoor concert venue to a significant SkyTrain extension, in no particular order of importance, here are nine notable developments and infrastructure projects that will begin major construction work in 2024:

Highway 1 pedestrian overpass between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake

The Burnaby Lake Overpass across Highway 1 will be a major north-south active transportation connection linking the trail systems of Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake parks.

The fully accessible bridge for both pedestrians and cyclists will be located in the vicinity of Claude Avenue. New trails will be created to reach the new bridge.

The project carries a cost of about $16 million, with the federal and provincial governments providing a combined total of nearly $7 million in funding.

Some site preparation activities began in Fall 2023, and major construction work is scheduled to begin in early 2024. Upon completion in 2026/2027, with its massive arched structure, which will be illuminated at night, it will be a considerable visual landmark for drivers on Highway 1.

highway 1 burnaby lake deer lake option 1 bridge

Option 1: Artistic rendering of the pedestrian and cyclist overpass design across Highway 1 between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake. (City of Burnaby)

Highway 1 Pedestrian Cyclist Overpass Burnaby Lake Options Map

The Option 1 location was selected for the Highway 1 pedestrian and cyclist overpass between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake. (City of Burnaby)

Phase 2 of Senakw

Construction on Senakw — the massive rental housing project by the Squamish Nation on their reserve at the south end of Burrard Street Bridge — began in late 2022 with the first phase situated on the west side of the bridge.

The first phase is now progressing quickly, with the underground and lower levels now beginning to approach the height of the bridge deck.

In early 2024, major construction work will begin on Senakw’s second phase on the east side of the bridge — on the easternmost end of the reserve. Site preparation is already underway on the second phase, which entails four towers, including one 12-storey office building.

Each of Senakw’s four construction phases will generate roughly 1,500 rental homes, including 300 below-market rental units. The first phase will reach completion in 2025/2026, followed by the second phase in 2027/2028. The entire project should be finished by the early 2030s, at which point there will be over 6,000 secured purpose-built rental homes for up to 9,000 people in towers reaching up to 59 storeys.

senakw squamish nation vancouver september 2022

September 2022 artistic rendering of the refined detailed design of Senakw: perspective looking northwest from Granville Street near West 4th Avenue. (Revery Architecture/Kasian/Tandem Studios/Squamish Nation)

Updated 2022 artistic rendering of Senakw, showing the potential station for the future streetcar line. (Revery Architecture/Squamish Nation/Westbank)

Site plan of Senakw, showing the four phases. (Revery Architecture/Westbank/Squamish Nation)

Surrey’s second hospital

The much-needed second hospital to serve Surrey’s rapidly growing population will be the provincial government’s single most expensive investment in a healthcare facility construction project.

Site preparation work on the $2.9 billion Cloverdale hospital first began in Fall 2023, and major construction activities are scheduled to begin later in 2024 for completion in 2029, and an opening in 2030.

The hospital will be built immediately adjacent to Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Cloverdale campus.

There will be 168 beds, including medical/surgical beds, high acuity beds, and medical oncology beds, as well as an emergency department with 55 treatment spaces, and a surgical suite with five operating rooms. A new major BC Cancer Centre treatment facility will be co-located with the hospital.

Artistic rendering of the new Cloverdale hospital at 5500 180 Street, Surrey. (Government of BC)

Surrey-Langley SkyTrain

For the first time, two separate SkyTrain extension projects will have overlapping construction timelines.

Major construction work on the Expo Line’s Surrey-Langley extension will begin sometime in the first half of 2024, with an expected opening in late 2028. The Millennium Line extension to Arbutus in Vancouver will reach completion in 2026.

This will extend the Expo Line by 16 km along Fraser Highway from King George Station to Langley City Centre, with eight new elevated stations along the way. The travel time on this new segment of SkyTrain will be about 22 minutes.

The official station names were announced in December 2023. The project carries a total cost of $4 billion.

surrey langley skytrain map official station names

Map of the official station names of the eight new stations on the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line. (Government of BC)

Artistic rendering of Clayton Station on the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line. (Government of BC)

Highway 1 widening reaching Abbotsford

The progressive upgrade of Highway 1 within the Lower Mainland will reach Abbotsford.

In addition to the current widening project to the west solely within Langley, Highway 1 will also be expanded over a nine-km-long segment between the 264th Street interchange in Langley Township and the Mt. Lehman Road interchange in Abbotsford.

Currently, this span of highway is generally four vehicle lanes wide — two lanes in each direction. The upgrade will expand it to up to 10 lanes wide in some areas, including HOV/battery vehicle lanes, shoulder bus lanes, and truck climbing lanes. There will also be new interchanges, a bus public transit hub, and a significantly expanded truck parking/rest area.

Construction on the new 264th Street interchange will begin in 2024 as the first major component of this “Phase 3A” of the highway corridor upgrade. The entire project reaching Mt. Lehman Road should be finished by 2029.

This project will cost $2.3 billion. The future upgrade phase further eastward will bring the highway widening work through the Sumas Prairie reaching Highway 11 (Sumas Way) and beyond to Chilliwack.

Preliminary design concept for the widened Highway 1 segment between 264 Street interchange and Mt. Lehman Road interchange (Phase 3A). (Government of BC)

highway 1 langley abbotsford fraser valley

Highway 1 improvement project between eastern Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. (Government of BC)

Marpole Transit Centre for battery-electric buses

The Marpole Transit Centre will be TransLink’s newest bus depot — and it will be unique, as it will be completely dedicated to storing, maintaining, and charging a battery-electric bus fleet. It will be TransLink’s first major step into building infrastructure to support its goal of transitioning towards a battery-electric bus fleet.

The bus depot will be built on a vacant 20-acre industrial site on the edge of the Fraser River in South Vancouver on the Fraser River waterfront. This site is immediately west of the Canada Line’s North Arm bridge over the river.

When complete in 2027, it will have a capacity to handle up to 300 battery-electric buses. Site preparation began last year, and major construction work is expected to begin later in 2024. The project is budgeted at $300 million.

marpole transit centre vancouver translink electric battery bus

Artistic rendering of the Marpole Transit Centre. (TransLink)

Site of the Marpole Transit Centre. (TransLink)

New home for the Vancouver Art Gallery

Although the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new home of the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) occurred in September 2023 — which was presided by Premier David Eby, Mayor Ken Sim, other dignitaries, and donors — construction has yet to actually begin. But the real work is expected to really start in 2024 for an opening in 2028.

The new VAG will be built on the parking lot at the northeast corner of the intersection of West Georgia Street and Cambie Street — next to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. It will have about 300,000 sq ft of total floor area, including 80,000 sq ft of dedicated exhibition and gallery space — double the existing location.

The stacked structure is designed by internationally renowned Switzerland-based architectural firm Herzog de Meuron, which is perhaps best known for designing Beijing’s Birds Nest Stadium, and some of the world’s most renowned museums, including London’s Tate Modern.

As of early last fall, the VAG raised $345 million of the $400 million it needs, which includes a $50 million operational endowment.

The new VAG will provide the immediate area with a much-needed lift, adding to impact of the recent office tower completions, including Deloitte Summit and The Post.

vancouver art gallery new building 2023 design

2023 artistic rendering of the revised design of the new Vancouver Art Gallery. (Vancouver Art Gallery)

2021 design of the new Vancouver Art Gallery. (Herzog & de Meuron/Perkins + Will)

New PNE Amphitheatre

The PNE is making its first major new investment towards a performance venue on its fairgrounds in Hastings Park in decades.

Major construction work on the new PNE Amphitheatre will begin in early 2024 for a completion by Summer 2026. It will be built on the footprint of the existing 1960s-built amphitheatre, which was intended to be temporary.

It will have a capacity for up to 10,000 spectators, with a giant free-span, mass-timber roof providing both practical weather protection and a visual landmark. The $104 million venue also features permanent purpose-built back-of-house facilities, VIP suites, concession facilities, and washrooms.

With an attractive state-of-the-art design, it is expected the venue will be able to host as many as 78 concerts/events per year outside of the PNE Fair period — up from five annually with the previous dilapidated amphitheatre.

The PNE is looking to sell the facility’s naming rights to help cover costs.

pne amphitheatre new design revery architecture

Artistic rendering of the new PNE Amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture/PNE)

Artistic rendering of the new PNE Amphitheatre. (Revery Architecture/PNE)

Stanley Park water tunnel

It is not as sexy of a project as the new amphitheatre coming to Hastings Park, but Stanley Park is also getting a big project of its own.

Metro Vancouver Regional District will be building a new critical 1.4-km-long water supply tunnel between the south side of Lost Lagoon and where Stanley Park Drive meets Tunnel Trail.

This trunk water pipe is fed by the water supply that comes from the North Shore reservoirs, providing the drinking water for Vancouver and other areas of the region.

Construction on the project will begin in late 2024 for completion in 2029. Expect major disruptions within Stanley Park for several years, including lane closures on Stanley Park Drive and additional truck traffic. The project’s cost was previously pegged at $340 million.

Map of the proposed route for the new Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)

Artistic rendering of the construction process of the Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)

Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel construction process. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)

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