EAST-WEST CONNECTOR BETWEEN ABBOTSFORD AIRPORT & HIGHWAY 99 (2005)

 

Transportation is a major barrier to business and investment in southwestern BC and it must be addressed on a regional basis.  While each municipality has specific challenges with the movement of people, goods and services, transportation and traffic concerns go far beyond individual municipal boundaries and must be considered from all fronts.  The province of BC is promoted internationally as a world-class destination, with the Greater Vancouver Region as the gateway to the province.  It is vital for this region to have facilities and infrastructure to handle the existing and future demand, to alleviate transportation gridlock and to protect our air quality. 

 

Currently, passenger and commercial carriers en route to or from Highway 99, the US border and destinations in the southwest sector of the Fraser Valley are forced to travel on Highway 1.  Residential and commercial development throughout the lower Fraser Valley and additional service and capacity at Abbotsford Airport continue to add to the stress and gridlock on Highway l.  There is a demonstrated need for development of a provincial southern connector to link the Abbotsford Airport and Canada/US border crossings with Highway 99, Delta Port and Vancouver International Airport.  At the present time commuter and commercial traffic are utilizing inadequate municipal arteries to travel through Abbotsford, Langley, Surrey and Delta. Based on our understanding of continuing development in the Fraser Valley this corridor will be urgently needed.

 

THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS

 

That the provincial government:

 

1. commence planning immediately for the development/confirmation of the alignment for a southern east-west connector between Abbotsford Airport and Highway 99.  Such planning should identify desirable time for completion of portions or all of this corridor; and

 

2. following completion of the alignment selection, commence protection and/or purchase of the required right-of-way in conjunction with affected municipalities.