City of Surrey is moving ahead with early works to get ready for the Surrey Langley SkyTrain (SLS) project. Following the federal government’s announcement of $1.3 billion funding, city council approved capital components of the early works including the widening of Fraser Highway from 96 Avenue to 148 Street and the removal of the digital billboard sign on Fraser Highway.

“I’m really proud that we’re moving ahead so quickly to advance the preparation work for SkyTrain,” said Mayor Doug McCallum. “This SkyTrain extension will deliver rapid transportation, and connect our growing communities, while reducing congestion on our roads. It will also deliver well-paying jobs and grow our economy, as we recover from the pandemic. The time has come to get started on this vital transportation project, and the city is ready to go!”

The Fraser Highway Road widening will include improved cycling paths, two lanes of travel in each direction, and enhancements to existing culverts to improve fish and/or wildlife passage. The city worked closely with TransLink in developing an optimal road design to minimize the road footprint and limit tree and environmental impacts, while integrating with SkyTrain alignment.

Road widening is set to begin in July, with instream works in August and September to align with the provincial and federal restrictions for instream works and bird nesting. As part of early works, the city will also relocate the existing digital billboard from the Surrey Sport and Leisure site on Fraser Highway to accommodate the SkyTrain alignment.

This project was part of the 20-plus major capital projects approved by city council as part of the Five-Year (2021-2025) Financial Plan in the 2021 budget.