While market conditions are currently slowing the pace of residential and commercial projects in Metro Vancouver, more and more shovels are being built to build major and unique urban and transportation infrastructure, as well as cultural and tourist attractions. The same cannot be said for waves.
And of course, this is on top of everything that’s already under construction, with 2024 expected to see a big wave of completions.
That includes everything from major outdoor concert venues to a major SkyTrain extension. In no particular order of importanceHere are nine notable developments and infrastructure projects that will begin major construction in 2024.
The Burnaby Lake Overpass, which crosses Highway 1, provides a major north-south transportation link between Burnaby Lake Park and Deer Lake Park trail systems.
The bridge, which will be fully accessible to both pedestrians and cyclists, will be located near Claude Street. A new trail will be created to reach the new bridge.
The project will cost about $16 million, with federal and state governments providing about $7 million in combined funding.
Some site preparation activities are expected to begin in fall 2023, with major construction work expected to begin in early 2024. Once completed in 2026/2027, the massive arch-shaped structure will be illuminated at night and will be quite a visual landmark for motorists. Along National Route 1.
Option 1: Artistic rendering of a pedestrian and bicycle overpass design across Highway 1 between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake. (City of Burnaby)
Option 1: Artistic rendering of a pedestrian and bicycle overpass design across Highway 1 between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake. (City of Burnaby)
Option 1 location was selected for a pedestrian and bicycle overpass on Highway 1 between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake. (City of Burnaby)
Construction on Senak, a large-scale rental housing project by the Squamish Nation on the reserve at the south end of the Burrard Street Bridge, first began in late 2022, with the first phase located on the west side of the bridge.
The first phase is now progressing rapidly, with the basement and sub-levels beginning to approach the level of the bridge deck.
In 2024, major construction work on the second phase of Cenac will begin on the east side of the bridge, the easternmost part of the bridge. Site preparation is already underway in the second phase, where his four towers, including one 12-story office building, will be built.
Each of Cenac’s four construction phases will include approximately 1,500 homes, including 300 affordable units. The first phase is expected to be completed in 2025/2026, followed by the second phase in 2027/2028. The entire project is expected to be completed by the early 2030s, at which point he expects to have more than 6,000 residential units and up to 9,000 people in a skyscraper of up to 59 storeys.
A September 2022 artistic rendering of Cenac’s sophisticated detailed design: A perspective looking northwest from Granville Street near West 4th Street. (Revery Architecture/Kasian/Tandem Studios/Squamish Nation)
Updated 2022 artistic rendering of Cenac showing a possible future tram station. (Reverie Architecture/Squamish Nation/Westbank)
Site plan showing the four stages of Senac. (Reverie Architecture/Westbank/Squamish Nation)
A much-needed second hospital to serve Surrey’s rapidly growing population will be the single most expensive investment in the Government’s health facility construction project.
Site preparation for the $2.9 billion Cloverdale Hospital will first begin in the fall of 2023, with major construction work expected to begin in late 2024, with completion in 2029 and opening in 2030.
The hospital will be built right next to Kwantlen Technical College’s Cloverdale campus.
It will have 168 beds, including medical/surgical beds, advanced acute care beds, and medical oncology beds, as well as an emergency department with 55 treatment spaces and an operating room with five operating rooms. A new major BC Cancer Center treatment facility will be co-located with the hospital.
Artistic rendering of the new Cloverdale Hospital located at 5500 180 Street in Surrey. (BC Government)
Artistic rendering of the new Cloverdale Hospital located at 5500 180 Street in Surrey. (BC Government)
For the first time, the construction schedules for two separate SkyTrain extension projects will overlap.
Major construction work on the Surrey-Langley extension of the Expo Line is expected to begin during the first half of 2024 and open in late 2028. The Millennium Line extension to Vancouver’s Arbutus is scheduled for completion in 2026.
This will extend the Expo Line 16 kilometers along the Fraser Highway from King George Station to Langley city centre, with eight new elevated stations being built along the way. This new section of the SkyTrain will take approximately 22 minutes.
The official station name was announced in December 2023. The project has a total cost of $4 billion.
A map of the official station names of the eight new stations on the Expo Line’s Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension. (BC Government)
Artistic rendering of Clayton Station on the Expo Line’s Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension. (BC Government)
Highway 1 in the Lower Mainland is being upgraded in stages, reaching Abbotsford.
In addition to the westward expansion project taking place within Langley, Highway 1 will also be expanded across a 9-kilometer stretch between the 264th Street interchange in Langley Township and the Mount Lehman Road interchange in Abbotsford. I’m planning on doing it.
Currently, this stretch of highway is typically four vehicle lanes wide (two lanes in each direction). This upgrade will increase the width of up to 10 lanes in some areas, including HOV/battery vehicle lanes, shoulder bus lanes, and truck climbing lanes. A new interchange, bus public transport hub, truck parking and rest area will be significantly expanded.
Construction of the new 264th Street Interchange will begin in 2024 as the first major part of “Phase 3A” of the freeway corridor renovation. The entire project up to Mount Lehman Road should be completed by 2029.
The project will cost $2.3 billion. Future upgrades further east will extend the highway through the Sumas Grassland to Highway 11 (Sumas Way) and beyond to Chilliwack.
Preliminary design concepts for the Highway 1 widening section between the 264 Street Interchange and the Mount Lehman Road Interchange (Phase 3A). (BC Government)
Highway 1 Improvement Project between Metro Vancouver East and the Fraser Valley. (BC Government)
Marpole Transit Center will be TransLink’s newest bus depot and will be unique in that it will be fully dedicated to storing, maintaining and charging battery electric bus fleets. This is Translink’s first major step in building the infrastructure to support its goal of transitioning to a battery electric bus fleet.
The bus depot will be built on a vacant industrial site at the mouth of the Fraser River in South Vancouver. The site is just west of the Canada Line’s North Arm Bridge over the river.
When completed in 2027, it will have the capacity to handle up to 300 battery-electric buses. Site preparation began last year and major construction work is expected to begin in late 2024. The budget for this project is he $300 million.
Artistic rendering of the Marpole Transit Center. (Translink)
Artistic rendering of the Marpole Transit Center. (Translink)
Marpole Transit Center site. (Translink)
The official groundbreaking ceremony for the Vancouver Art Gallery’s (VAG) new home was held in September 2023, but although Prime Minister David Eby, Mayor Ken Sim, other dignitaries and donors presided, construction has yet to actually begin. has not started. However, actual construction is scheduled to begin in 2024, with opening scheduled for 2028.
The new VAG will be built on the northeast corner of the intersection of West Georgia Street and Cambie Street, in a parking lot next to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The total floor space will be approximately 300,000 square feet, of which 80,000 square feet of dedicated exhibition and gallery space will be twice that of the existing location.
This laminate structure was designed by internationally renowned Swiss-based architecture firm Herzog de Meuron and is likely to be used in world-famous museums such as Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium and London’s Tate Modern. Best known for its design.
As of early last fall, VAG had raised $345 million for the $400 million project budget, including $50 million in operating funds.
Artistic rendering of the revised design of the new Vancouver Art Gallery in 2023. (Vancouver Art Gallery)
New Vancouver Art Gallery 2021 Design. (Herzog & de Meuron/Perkins + Will)
New Vancouver Art Gallery 2021 Design. (Herzog & de Meuron/Perkins + Will)
PNE is making its first major new investment in decades to build a performance venue on its Hastings Park exhibition grounds.
Extensive construction work on the new PNE Amphitheater will begin in early 2024 with completion scheduled for summer 2026. The theater will be built on the site of an existing amphitheater that was originally intended to be temporary and was built in the 1960s.
It can accommodate up to 10,000 spectators and its huge free-span mass timber roof provides both practical weather protection and a visual landmark. The $104 million venue will also feature permanent, dedicated back-of-house facilities, VIP suites, concession facilities and washrooms.
With its attractive, state-of-the-art design, the venue is expected to host as many as 78 concerts and events a year outside of PNE Fair. This will increase to five times a year, compared to five times a year at the old dilapidated amphitheater.
PNE is considering selling naming rights to the facility to cover costs.
Artistic rendering of the new PNE Amphitheater. (Reverie Architecture/PNE)
Artistic rendering of the new PNE Amphitheater. (Reverie Architecture/PNE)
Artistic rendering of the new PNE Amphitheater. (Reverie Architecture/PNE)
Although it’s not as exciting a project as Hastings Park’s new amphitheater, Stanley Park has its own big project in the works.
The Metro Vancouver Regional District will construct a new, 1.4km-long critical water tunnel between the south side of Lost Lagoon and the intersection of Stanley Park Drive and Tunnel Trail.
This main water main is fed with water from North Shore reservoirs, providing drinking water to Vancouver and other areas.
Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in late 2024 and be completed in 2029. Major disruptions are expected in Stanley Park for several years, including lane closures on Stanley Park Drive and increased truck traffic. The cost of this project was previously estimated at $340 million.
Map of the proposed route of the new Stanley Park water tunnel. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)
Artistic rendering of the construction process of the Stanley Park Water Tunnel. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)
Stanley Park water tunnel construction process. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)
