After testing the patience of drivers in Vancouver and Burnaby last year, the FortisBC gas line upgrades are about to cause commuter headaches in Coquitlam.
An already busy street in the heart of the city will undergo major construction starting in March.
Part of Como Lake Avenue will be ripped up as FortisBC replaces the aging pipeline beneath the street. When construction begins, the east-west route will be reduced from four lanes to two – one running in each direction – between North Road and Mariner Way.
Last year, the utility provider put in eight kilometres of pipeline in Vancouver and Burnaby during closures of East 1st Avenue and Lougheed Highway. This year, Fortis will be replacing 12 kilometres of pipes in Burnaby and Coquitlam, with the majority of work planned for Broadway and Como Lake Avenue.
Periodic lane closures are expected to begin mid-month, while full construction and lane closures start in March.
Crews will be replacing the 60-year-old, 20-inch line with a 30-inch version on the line that serves about 210,000 customers in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
The project is already a source of concern for those who rely on the route.
"This is the main artery. This is the lifeline of all of upper Coquitlam," area resident Mike Fischer said.
"Our kids went to school here. We shop here. It will be a disaster."
Some businesses are afraid the construction will deter customers from shopping there.
"The construction will be blocking one of the most important roads that allow customers to get to our store and the shopping mall," explained Nahush Jadhav, a manager at Kin's Farm Market.
Another woman said she is worried the other roads that will be used as detours aren't equipped for the sudden increase in traffic.
And the mayor of the city has raised another concern: What will happen with the leftover pipe?
Richard Stewart said Fortis is not planning to remove the old, decaying gasline after they've put in the new one.
"You can put your utilities in our road but when you're done with them, don't leave your garbage behind. Take it with you," he said Tuesday.
He's already brought the complaint to the BC Utilities Commission, but so far, Fortis is saying it won't budge.
"This is industry standard. We do that because it really minimizes the impact to the community, so we don't have to dig up the road twice to remove the gas line. It also reduces the cost of the project to the ratepayers across the province," said spokesperson Grace Pickell.
Mayor Stewart also hopes Fortis will pave the entire road once the work is done, but right now, the utility only plans to repave the areas they rip up.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Emad Agahi
