The Mountain Highway Interchange on Highway 1 is now complete, marking a milestone for the Lower Lynn Improvement Project.

The completion delivers a new eastbound off-ramp, new westbound on-ramp, five-lane Mountain Highway underpass and the widening and realignment of Mountain Highway. These improvements will make the daily commute to work or school faster and safer for the 120,000 people travelling to and from the North Shore daily, especially during peak times.

“The day-to-day life of North Shore residents, as well as the growth and prosperity of businesses, depends on more adequate transportation infrastructure,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, federal Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, and MP for North Vancouver, on behalf of Marc Garneau, federal Minister of Transport. “The completion of the first step of the Lower Lynn improvement project is an important milestone in our ongoing work to reduce transportation delays and enhance safety in our community.”

The original Highway 1 - Lower Lynn Interchanges were designed and built more than 50 years ago. Their capacity and function are outdated. The Lower Lynn Improvement Project is providing important upgrades for many roadway components.

“Traffic on the North Shore leaves thousands of commuters frustrated daily,” said Bowinn Ma, MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale, on behalf of Claire Trevena, B.C.’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Drivers will experience improved traffic flow and better connections with the completion of this phase of the Lower Lynn Improvement project, which will be a welcome relief for those who drive.”

Once the full Lower Lynn Improvement Project is complete, Highway 1 travel during peak times is expected to be reduced by at least nine minutes in the eastbound direction and four minutes in the westbound direction between the top of the cut to mid-span Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. The new roadwork will create safer merge lanes and reduce the risk of crashes in the area by one-third.

“We recognize that commuters on the North Shore are frustrated with congestion that significantly increases travel times. With Phase 1 of the project now complete, we’re pleased to share that those travelling throughout the North Shore will experience improved connections and traffic flow,” said Mike Little, mayor, District of North Vancouver. “These enhancements and upgrades will reduce commute times, while also improving safety for all travellers, including vehicle drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.”

The project will also improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. New bike paths, sidewalks, trails and multi-use pathways are being built. This supports the B.C. government’s commitment to ensuring that new bridges and interchanges are designed to make walking, cycling and transit safe and convenient for everyone, as outlined in Move. Commute. Connect., B.C.’s Active Transportation Strategy.

The strategy is part of CleanBC, a plan to help transform how people move around, while encouraging more active transportation in communities. The project will also benefit the environment by lowering greenhouse gas emissions from idling vehicles. 

CleanBC is a pathway to a more prosperous, balanced and sustainable future. CleanBC was developed in collaboration with the BC Green Party caucus and Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, and supports the commitment in the Confidence and Supply Agreement to implement climate action to meet B.C.’s emission targets.

Funding for all four phases of the Lower Lynn Project is being provided by the Province of B.C. ($76.7 million), Government of Canada ($66.6 million) and the District of North Vancouver ($54.7 million), for a total investment of $198 million.

Learn More:

Highway 1 Lower Lynn Improvement Project: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-infrastructure/projects/highway-1-lower-lynn-improvements

For more information on Move. Commute. Connect., visit: https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/active/

CleanBC: https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/

A backgrounder follows.