A new truck route that diverts large vehicles around downtown Fort Langley will be considered as part of next spring’s budget planning, Township council decided Monday.
Council received a report on a $15.6 million plan to change the main truck routes in the area, sending most truck traffic to and from Glen Valley around the village, using Rawlison Crescent and 240th Street instead of Glover Road, Mavis Avenue, and River Road.
It’s a change that local residents and businesses have been calling for for years, but it requires a number of upgrades to Rawlison and other connected roads to handle the extra traffic and turning trucks.
Some councillors had concerns about the total price tag.
“It’s actually costing us an awful lot of money to let Fort Langley not have trucks on Glover Road,” said Councillor David Davis.
Of the changes, $7.44 million could be paid for by development cost charges, which are collected by the Township from new developments to pay for community infrastructure.
The remaining $8.2 million needed to complete the changes is not eligible for funding from DCCs, said the Township’s engineering report, and the Township would need to find another source for the funds.
READ MORE: Truck routes could be removed from Fort Langley
The council also debated an amendment by Coun. Kim Richter that the project go to public consultation before the budget process started.
Richter argued that some projects like this one needed public consultation before becoming part of the budget process, which typically starts in January and wraps up with a completed budget by early spring.
But Richter argued the budget was simply too big to expect people to study.
“We can’t expect the public to pore through all the details,” said Richter.
Her amendment was defeated by a majority of council, and the plan will be discussed as part of the overall budget package.
