The City of Abbotsford was facing traffic congestion, safety issues and impacts to railway operations at Highway 11 and Vye Road. Design improvements have transformed the area’s infrastructure into a safer, more durable crossing for motorists and pedestrians.
This important project spans both the City of Abbotsford and BC MOTI’s jurisdictions, reshaping the area in three segments. The design/build project was delivered through the Building Canada Fund and Transport Canada’s Rail Safety Improvement Program.
- Segment 1 improves widened Hwy 11 by 1.3 km and extended the NEXUS lane south to the United States border to improve traffic flow.
- Segment 2 brought construction of a 2-lane divided, paved collector road along Vye Road with an overpass eliminated an at-grade rail crossing. The 13-meter-wide, 65-meter-long structural crossing spans 8.5 meters in height over the CP and SRY railways. The collector road provides unobstructed east-west traffic between Hwy 11 and Riverside Road, which crosses over 762mm and 1067mm diameter transmission pipelines supplying a large portion of the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley.
- Segment 3 widened the eastbound lane of Hwy 11, bringing critical utility upgrades and safety enhancements to further support the area’s growing demands.
Geotechnical and materials testing solutions
EXP provided services from design to construction of the project. The team delivered seismic ground response analysis, liquefaction assessment, axial and lateral geotechnical deep foundation design, shallow foundation design, settlement assessment and slope stability analysis, among other project elements. The EXP team oversaw new pavement construction on soft subsoil, designed expanded polystyrene (EPS) embankments and conducted asphalt mix designs.
Environmental strategies
Environmental surveys and planning were critical to the success of the project. EXP’s team completed a knotweed survey and noxious weed management plan to manage invasive plant species and provide strategies for prevention and control. Installation of environmental liners addressed long-term resilience and protection of the EPS against chemical spills and adverse site conditions
The EXP team addressed several engineering challenges, including construction on compressible soils, managing contaminated materials, as well as addressing contaminated groundwater, surface runoff and nearby waste discharges. Environmental liners were implemented to protect EPS blocks from flooding and to mitigate potential archaeological impacts.
Coordinating invasive plant management with archaeological work, excavation and preloading added additional complexity, requiring seamless integration of multiple efforts.
EXP’s solutions met the standards of BC MOTI, the City of Abbotsford and Eurovia BC, with a focus on enhancing infrastructure quality and durability for the area.
Services
Environmental, Geotechnical, Materials Testing