Surrey highway closing for 24 hours for rail maintenance, Pattullo Bridge work

The main tower of the new Pattullo Bridge is seen under construction. (x.com/@pattulloproject)

A stretch of provincial highway in Surrey will close in both directions for 24 hours beginning early Sunday morning to facilitate work related to the Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project.

Highway 17 will close between Tannery Road and Bridgeview Drive beginning at 5 a.m. Sunday, according to an announcement from Fraser Crossing Partners, the contractor working on the Pattullo replacement. 

"This closure is required for scheduled track repairs that will be performed by Southern Railway of British Columbia Limited (SRY) while Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project crews complete drainage work in the area," the announcement reads.

"Road signage will be in place and traffic control personnel will be on site."

Detours will be in place during the closure, routing drivers via 120 Street and King George Boulevard.

"While this work is underway, crews will be excavating the roadway to replace the railway tracks that cross Highway 17," the announcement reads. "Nearby residents and businesses may hear some construction noise."

The $1.3-billion Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project began in 2020, and was initially scheduled to be completed by 2021 before the pandemic and supply chain issues pushed the expected opening date to 2024.

In a social media post earlier this week, the contractor shared a photo of progress on the bridge's main tower, saying 25 of 33 segments of the tower are complete.