Following additional consultation, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure alongside the City of Delta and other local stakeholders has decided to reschedule repairs to the Highway 17A crossing over Highway 99 until 2024.

“Four months after the initial damage, we are ready to go at anytime with repairs to the Highway 17A crossing,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “After hearing of additional concerns about traffic impacts over the holiday season, we’re taking our cue from those most affected by construction and are delaying this work until the new year.”

The Highway 17A crossing over Highway 99 was damaged on July 18, 2023, when struck by an over-height vehicle. The repairs to the crossing will be extensive, involving demolition and girder installation.

Following the incident in July, the ministry worked on a plan to repair the heavily damaged crossing and the completion of engineering allows the construction work to begin now. Local consultations were undertaken with the City of Delta, Delta’s emergency responders, Delta Farmers Institute, HUB Cycling and TransLink.

However, the repairs require lane closures and detours, and concerns were raised by Delta’s business community about the effect to businesses during the important holiday season.

Due to these concerns, the ministry has worked with Delta to reschedule repairs to begin in January. Work will be scheduled over a 12-week period instead of the eight-week plan to allow for winter weather. The work is now expected to be complete by early April, which was an important timeline identified by the local farming community. 

“I want to thank Minister Fleming and his staff for working collaboratively with city staff and local businesses to find a solution that would postpone the Highway 17A Overpass repairs until after the holiday season,” said George V. Harvie, mayor of Delta. “This delay will support our businesses during the busy season and allow ministry staff, city staff, TransLink and community stakeholders to work together on finding alternative routes to mitigate traffic concerns. The Highway 17A overpass is a critical connection for our community, especially our agricultural community. I look forward to the completion of repairs in time for the increased farming activity in the spring.”

The repair schedule and associated closures and detours will be communicated in advance of the start of repairs in January 2024.