“It’s an amazing project, and I’m thrilled to see it coming to life,” said Farnworth.
Construction on the Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension is officially underway, Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth said Friday.
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Foundations for what will be about 200 guideway piers and columns began in November but because of the provincial election the government delayed announcing the construction launch.
Farnworth said the foundation work will continue throughout this year and crews will begin building the Surrey Green Timbers and Langley City Centre stations in the coming months.
“It’s an amazing project, and I’m thrilled to see it coming to life,” said Farnworth.
It’s now expected to be completed in late 2029, a year later than the anticipated completion date of late 2028.
“It’s going to transform the transit experience in Surrey City, in Langley, the township of Langley and surrounding communities. Passengers will be able to travel from Langley city centre to King George station in about 22 minutes, or from Langley to Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver in about an hour,” said Farnworth.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said the new rapid transit will be “transformative” for the city, especially for the Fleetwood and Cloverdale neighbourhoods, and will enhance connection to the region for people living south of the Fraser River.
Last summer, the cost estimate for the project ballooned to $5.996 billion from $4 billion after the contracts were awarded. The government said the cost estimate had been updated in response to market conditions, including rising inflation costs and key commodity price escalation, supply-chain pressures and labour-market challenges.
On Friday, Farnworth acknowledged the U.S. threat of tariffs but said that shouldn’t affect the budget.
“Contracts are already in place. The material we get, the concrete, for example, the iron and steel that we do, that’s all produced here in Canada and British Columbia, from other from other jurisdictions,” he said.
“The budget, $6 billion, is in place. And we are, you know, mindful of what’s happening south of the border. But the reality is, this project being built is going ahead, and it’s going to be fantastic for the region, with the growth of the economic development that comes with it.”
The province named SkyLink Guideway Partners as contractor for the elevated guideway and roadways, South Fraser Station Partners as contractor for the eight new stations, and Transit Integrators B.C. as contractor for the systems and track work.
The SkyTrain extension replaces a light-rail rapid transit proposal that would have linked Surrey’s city centre with Newton to the south and Guildford to the east with at-grade trams.
The eight new SkyTrain stations are expected to spur high-density and affordable housing development.
With files from Cheryl Chan and Derrick Penner