After long-planned underpass triples in price, Pitt Meadows declines to kick in $50M

A major improvement for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists on a busy Pitt Meadows street is now off-track with construction costs spiraling out of control and the city declining to pay.

Construction costs for a new underpass to deal with persistent train delays on Harris Road, the city's main north-south route, have more than tripled from $63 million to $195 million.

The underpass was supposed to be funded by the federal government, the Port of Vancouver and CP Rail, which maintains a bustling railyard at the west end of the city.

But the port, which is leading the project, asked the city to kick in a quarter of the construction costs, up to $49.6 million. It said without that money, the underpass wouldn't be built in light of the higher cost.

Council, on Tuesday, deliberated calling a referendum to ask residents to approve borrowing the money.

It didn't take long. Council unanimously voted to turn the port down and not go to voters.

"We need this underpass. There is no doubt in my mind about the merits of this project," said Coun. Allison Evans. "But at what cost to the citizens of Pitt Meadows?

"Fifty-million dollars is a heavy price tag."

Staff estimated that borrowing would hike taxes about 12 per cent: the bill for the average single-family home would be $300 higher for the next 30 years.

Mayor Nicole MacDonald says $50 million is more than the city's annual budget, but the port says without that money, the much-demanded underpass won't be built.

Delays expected to last longer

MacDonald, speaking Monday, said the updated estimate left her "concerned and disappointed."

"Obviously a huge ask, financially, on a city of 20,000 people," MacDonald said, but added the underpass is desperately needed.

Rail traffic and the population have grown and as it stands, Harris Road is blocked to cars, bikes and pedestrians for an average of 3.5 hours every day as freight trains and the West Coast Express roll along two rail lines cutting the town in half.

In fact, CP Rail is planning to lay down a third line. The extra train traffic could have the road closed for up to seven hours daily by 2030.

"[It] is affecting community livability, business viability, and public safety," MacDonald said.

"It's an at-grade crossing which increases risk of accident, but also the sheer volume [of trains]. What we have is our fire hall, our police station, but also B.C. Ambulance, routinely get stuck at the crossing."

A group of parents picking up their children from a daycare Monday said they've long been frustrated by delays at the crossing and by the port asking people like them to pay for a solution.

"I think what they're trying to do to the people of Pitt Meadows is criminal," said Jordan Rosenlund.

Multiple reasons for increased cost

The Port of Vancouver says a number of factors have led to the ballooning of costs: changes to building codes, issues with the location itself such as soil conditions, and inflationary costs in a wide range of construction expenses.

"Resolving the acute affordability issue to preserve the Harris Road underpass requires shared responsibility among all project partners, and we need to work together quickly to secure additional funding," the port said in a statement.

"We are now progressing conversations among partners to secure additional funding. If project partners cannot close the funding gap, the port authority cannot lead the project into construction."

MacDonald and councillors suggested federal funds should be ponied up to make up the funding gap.