Construction along the Highway 1 corridor in Coquitlam in the lead up to the Port Mann bridges may be snarling traffic and causing confusion among motorists, but ICBC statistics do not show an increase in collisions.
Last year, 417 accidents occurred between United Boulevard in Coquitlam and 152 Street in Surrey, down from 2010, when 439 collisions took place.
So far this year, 149 accidents have taken place, however Adam Grossman, a senior media relations advisor with ICBC, said the worst part of the year is over and numbers are expected to drop as the weather warms up.
"We always see more crashes during the winter [and] early spring months," he said in an email. "So that three month period will likely not be comparable to the other three quarters of the year."
Since construction on the Port Mann/Highway 1 project began in 2008, accident numbers have remained relatively constant.
The year before the project began, ICBC tallied 473 collisions along the route. Those numbers dropped to 450 in 2008 before peaking in 2009 with 483.
Since then the stats have steadily decreased, according to ICBC's statistics.
"We are pleased obviously that the number of incidents is actually lower over the last couple of years than it was before construction," said Max Logan, the spokesperson for the Port Mann/Highway 1 project. "We are heartened that the efforts we have made are working."
Logan credits a comprehensive traffic management plan for keeping the crash numbers low and said the fact that most of the major work takes place in off peak hours makes for safer driving.
The Port Mann/Highway 1 Improvement project began in 2008, and is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
When crews are finished a new 10-lane Port Mann bridge will replace the existing crossing and the freeway will be widened and interchanges on the Coquitlam and Surrey side will be upgraded.
CRASH STATS
2007: 473
2008: 450
2009: 483
2010: 439
2011: 417
2012 (Jan. - March): 149
