Burnaby residents who have suffered through years of construction in front of their homes are getting a little side benefit to the city continuing a road project.
They don’t have to hear or fear ratrunners for a while.
The City of Burnaby notified the residents on Broadway Street that the road will be fully closed to traffic for about four months as the road is widened and a new storm sewer is installed.
Broadway is by far the busiest ratrunner route in Burnaby as many drivers look to avoid Lougheed Highway traffic heading east and west.
Broadway is located just a block north of Lougheed and many driver start all the way at Holdom and head east.
This closure is part of more than a year of disruptions along Broadway, part of 2.2 kilometres of work from Underhill to Bainbridge.
The spinoff impact of these disruptions has been that many ratrunners now divert and head north on Duthie Avenue and drive either over the Burnaby Mountain Parkway or past the Burnaby Mountain golf course.
Duthie residents have told the NOW that the street has gotten worse since the work on Broadway began, culminating in a deadly crash in July that killed a speeding driver and a pedestrian. That crash happened in a school zone, but many drivers ignored the 30 km/h school zone speed during school hours.
Duthie residents say they have asked the city for changes to slow drivers down.
“So @CityofBurnaby, two months ago you denied us further traffic calming measures in our school zone and now TWO people are dead,” tweeted @MsYouDoYou after the July crash. “Is this what you mean about community? Are these deaths enough to prove we need action?”
If Phase 4 of B.C.’s return plan goes into effect in September, that will mean even more drivers on the road as more people return to office life. More drivers equals more ratrunners trying to avoid peak traffic lineups.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
