The nearly $6-billion rapid transit extension remains on track for 2029 completion
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Premier David Eby says Friday was an “important landmark” in the construction of the nearly $6-billon Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension.
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Speaking at the future Willowbrook Station in Langley, Eby said the 16-kilometre extension — the first rapid transit project south of the Fraser River in four decades — remains on track and will reduce congestion and drive economic growth for the fast-growing communities of Surrey and Langley.
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The groundbreaking at the station means construction is underway on all eight stations along the line, he said: “That means this project is continuing to move along and that communities like Willowbrook … you’ll hear the familiar chime of the Expo Line from Waterfront Station stopping here.”
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The project will extend the Expo Line east from King George Station in Surrey along Fraser Highway to 203rd Street in Langley. It’s expected to cost nearly $6 billion, about 50 per cent more than the original $4-billion estimate, and is slated for completion in fall 2029.
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Officials say the line is expected to reduce vehicle dependency and support population growth in Surrey, the Township of Langley and the City of Langley, which together are projected to add another 400,000 residents over the next 30 years.
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Eby also struck a partisan tone during the announcement, defending the province’s decision to take on debt to fund major infrastructure projects that he said previous governments have delayed.
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“This project is not only necessary and essential, but will drive important activity south of the Fraser,” he said. “And to build this project, we need to borrow money and that is what the debt is about.”
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The NDP government’s capital spending is at historic highs, with major projects in health care and education including a $2.9-billion hospital in Surrey, a new medical school at Simon Fraser University, and the Highway 1 expansion to Abbotsford. That spending is part of the reason why B.C.’s debt is expected to balloon over the next three years from $154 billion to $235 billion.
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But a $13.3-billion deficit in this year’s budget has forced the government to “re-pace” some projects, including Phase 2 of the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment and long-term care facilities in Abbotsford, Campbell River, Chilliwack, Delta, Fort St. John, Kelowna and Squamish.
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Eby also defended the province’s use of community benefit agreements, which require contractors for public projects to use unionized labour but that critics say exclude 85 per cent of construction workers in B.C. and drive up costs.
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Eby said unionized sites provide stronger protection for workers and ensure taxpayer-funded projects create well-paid jobs and training opportunities for British Columbians.
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