Coquitlam streets will be torn up and new utility lines will be installed as part of the 80 capital projects on the books for the city’s engineering and public works (EPW) department this year.
Monday, at the council-in-committee meeting, EPW managers spoke of the $37-million worth of city investment going into the ground for 2021; it was the first time EPW had given an overview of its upcoming year, and follows recent summaries from the parks and recreation department.
“I absolutely support having this report on a regular basis,” Coun. Dennis Marsden told the committee. “I’ve joked in the past that we celebrate Parks and all the great things they’ve got going…. and we’ve really given short-shrift to all the things happening on the engineering front.”
“They impact people every single day, which is being able to move around the community safely.”
According to a report from Jaime Boan, Coquitlam’s general manager of engineering and public works (EPW), the 2021 capital program addresses construction projects related to transportation as well as sewage, drainage and water utilities. And in some areas, there are safety improvements around schools while, in other zones, entire neighbourhoods will be affected for many weeks.
Marsden said he was pleased to read a new traffic signal will go in at Como Lake Avenue and Montrose Street, east of the Como Lake Shopping Village, especially given the number of delivery trucks accessing the strip mall. And Coun. Teri Towner said she looks forward to the Road Safety Strategy, which will focus in hot spots, such as busy intersections, for potential upgrades.
Below are some of the projects on EPW’s books for 2021:
CENTRAL AND SOUTH COQUITLAM
• Two kilometres of sidewalk, 2.2 km of water main and 5.4 kilometres of road paving will be added or replaced between Blue Mountain Street to the west, Gatensbury Street to the east, Como Lake Avenue to the south and the Port Moody border to the north. As well, sidewalks will go in on the north side of Austin Avenue (near the Vancouver Golf Club) while sidewalks along Brunette Avenue — from Lougheed Highway to Allard Street — will be updated
• Como Lake Avenue, from Mariner Way to Robinson Street, will have its north curb lane paved (the south curb lane will be done next year when FortisBC finishes its natural gas line project) while United Boulevard, from King Edward Avenue to Fawcett Road, will be paved this fall after the Trans Mountain pipeline project is complete
• Frontage works — including curbs, gutters and street lighting — will happen along Walls Avenue (between Lebleu and Marmont streets); Stewart Avenue (also between Lebleu and Marmont streets); and Delestre Avenue (between Lebleu and Nelson streets)
• A multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists will go in along United Boulevard, from King Edward Street to the existing path
• Upgrades to the Foster water pump station and reservoir are expected to help with water pressure for homes around Mundy Park
BURQUITLAM
• Phase 1 of the North Road (Stoney Creek) sewer is slated for updates, from the Metro Vancouver trunk sewer to about 150 m south
CITY CENTRE
• The pedestrian bulge at Lincoln Avenue near Pinetree Way will be made permanent while, at the entrance to Douglas College from Pinetree Way, curb bulges will be installed for pedestrian safety
• The deck for the Scott Creek bridge, along Lougheed Highway, will be updated while the sound wall along Mariner Way will be replaced
• A concrete treatment will be applied along Pinetree Way, between Anson and Lincoln avenues, to cut maintenance costs and extend the life of the concrete pathways
BURKE MOUNTAIN
• Street lights will be converted to LED lights as part of a city-wide initiative
• A large concrete tank at Harper Drive, to hold 1 million litres of storm water that will flow into Fox Creek, will be installed plus road and utility works will happen on the lower Burke Mountain roads, as will design and construction of Princeton Avenue in the village
• Expansion and updates to the sanitary sewer system as well as drainage, environmental and roadwork along Cedar Drive and Partington Creek
“We look to our friends in the east,” Marsden said Monday. “Mayor [Brad] West has done a great job in Port Coquitlam talking about trying to do the basics and trying to do them well, and they’re trumpeting them. That’s one thing that we haven’t done enough of.”
