Highway 91/17 Upgrade Project

Pacific Gateway Constructors, a general partnership comprised of Ledcor (40%), Aecon (35%) and BEL Contracting (25%), was awarded a contract by the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for the Highway 91/17 Upgrade Project in Delta, British Columbia. 

This design-build project included the upgrade of several at-grade interchanges along Highways 17 and 91C and aimed to enhance travel safety and efficiency by improving the existing corridors of Highway 91, Highway 17, and the Highway 91 Connector. These corridors serve as important routes for trucking, connecting the Port of Vancouver to significant trade and industrial facilities, thereby playing a crucial role in national and international market connections. 

During the proposal process the team developed an innovative design for the client that better suited the province’s objectives as higher volume traffic movements are given a greater priority and increase the performance of the interchange. This innovative solution provided the client with major cost savings ($5M) compared to the client’s reference concept design.  

Additionally, the team successfully developed practical configuration for a one-way couplet roadway system. This configuration was implemented while preserving the existing bridge and two-lane ramp at the Highway 91/91C Interchange, resulting in an environmentally sustainable design. Not only did this innovative design meet the project’s objectives, but it also ensured smooth traffic flow, enhanced service merge sequences, showcased sustainable design principles by repurposing existing infrastructure, and effectively utilized complex construction staging despite limited space constraints.

The project’s scope of work included complex detours, utility relocation, drainage installation, pre-loading of soft soils, lightweight fills, concrete bridge structures, stone columns, drilled shafts, electrical, and all associated roadworks construction.