Contact us
Sign up for our newsletter to receive project updates.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 604.665.9004
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is leading a roadwork project to widen and realign Commissioner Street to the north between Nanaimo Street and Slocan Street in order to make room for Canadian Pacific Railway to add additional rail tracks. We are leading this project to help support the capacity needed on the south shore to move goods, and improve the road and port operations.
This project received a permit from Project and Environmental Review (PER) in 2012. Construction on the roadwork project began in March 2021, and was scheduled to be completed in February 2022. As inclement weather affected the construction schedule, the Metro Vancouver sanitary sewer tie-in activity will begin in the summer, and we expect that this work will be complete in August 2022.
The project received funding in 2019 from the Government of Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund.
The project includes:
- Removal of the old Columbia Containers grain elevator (completed in early 2020)
- Changes to Commissioner Street near Columbia Containers, includes shifting the road north, paving and adding a new lane (completed in November 2021)
- Construction of a retaining wall (completed in July 2021)
- Relocation of the impacted utilities including the Harbour East Interceptor
- Future installation of additional rail tracks next to current tracks, from four tracks to six tracks (led by CP)
These improvements will:
- Improve port truck movements and traffic flow
- Improve access to terminal facilities for commercial traffic
- Enable safe and efficient access to port lands for employees and service providers
- Provide land for rail track expansion, supporting trade growth and increased local and national jobs
CP is leading the Commissioner Street Rail Expansion Project , which proposes to expand their existing rail infrastructure along this corridor. This project received a PER permit from the port authority in May 2022. For any questions or concerns about the project or rail operations, please visit the CP website.
Timeline
The below shows the project’s anticipated timeline.
- June 2022 – August 2022 – Metro Vancouver sanitary sewer tie-in and completion works
- Mid 2022 – Early 2024 – Rail expansion works
Timelines are subject to change.
Project update
In May 2022, the project team received approval to conduct certain construction activities outside of regular working hours, between June 29 and July 31, 2022. The remaining project activities include bypass pumping for the new Metro Vancouver sewer, lane painting and relocating fibre optic system along the rail corridor. The original project permit and subsequent permit amendments can be found here.
Construction activities between June 29 and July 31, 2022 will continue during port authority standard work hours (Monday to Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.), and some works will take place outside of port authority standard work hours, as shown in the summer construction schedule.
Bypass pumping has to run continuously during this period of time because the sewer flow from the old sanitary pipe has to be diverted to avoid spillage while we switch to the new Metro Vancouver sanitary sewer pipe. Shrouded pumps will be installed to mitigate noise near the two work sites at Victoria Drive and New Brighton Road.
Roadwork to realign Commissioner Street began in March 2021. The majority of the utility relocation and roadwork was completed in March 2022. Some road works including pavement patching and lane painting will be completed in the coming weeks, and construction for the Metro Vancouver sanitary sewer tie-in is anticipated to be completed by the end of the summer 2022.
Presentations
- March 2021 – East Vancouver Port Land Liaison Committee meeting
- December 2020 – East Vancouver Port Lands Liaison Committee meeting
Notification letters
- June 2022 – Notification letter extended work hours approved and summer construction schedule
- November 2021 – Notification letter permit amendment request and winter construction schedule
- October 2021 – Notification letter permit amendment update and November construction schedule
- September 2021 – Notification letter fall construction schedule
- June 2021 – Notification letter permit amendment decision and construction schedule
- March 2021 – Notification letter permit amendment update and construction schedule
- February 2021 – Notification letter start of construction
- December 2020 – Notification letter permit amendment request
Schedule
- May to July 2022 – Summer construction schedule
- April to May 2022 – Spring construction schedule
- December 2021 to January 2022 – Winter construction schedule
- November 1-30, 2021 -Construction schedule
- September 1 to October 31, 2021 – Fall construction schedule update V3
- June 28 to August 31, 2021 – Updated construction schedule
- June 28 to August 31, 2021 – Construction schedule
- April 12 to June 27, 2021 – Construction schedule
Reports
Newsletters
- June 2022 – Commissioner Street Road and Rail Realignment Project Update
- December 2021 – Commissioner Street Road and Rail Realignment Project Update
- November 2021 – Commissioner Street Road and Rail Realignment Project Update
- September 2021 – Commissioner Street Road and Rail Realignment Project Update – V2
- September 2021 – Commissioner Street Road and Rail Realignment Project Update
- August 2021 – Commissioner Street Road and Rail Realignment Project Update
- May 2021 – Commissioner Street Road and Rail Realignment Project Update
- April 2021 – Commissioner Street Road and Rail Realignment Project Update
- February 2021 – Commissioner Street Road and Rail Realignment Project Update
Send inquiries and complaints to project email account ([email protected]), including noise complaints related to the project.
To effectively monitor and respond to complaints, submit the following information:
- Date and time of noise
- Description of noisy activity
- If this noise is new or has been heard since the start of construction on the project
- Location of the source of the noise or where it is being heard from
Supporting the community
The project set up a community amenity to thank the community for your patience during construction. With input from the East Vancouver Port Lands (EVPL) committee, we have identified community organizations in East Vancouver that would benefit from funding. More details to be released shortly.
Funding partners
This project is funded by the Government of Canada through the National Trade Corridors Fund, the port authority, and CP.
Part of Greater Vancouver Gateway 2030.