The City of Richmond is set to begin the latest phase of dike and flood protection work, which will be centred along the north arm of the Fraser River.
Upgrades to the north dike on River Road, between Nelson Road and the west edge of the train trestle, will begin following maintenance and pre-construction work, including tree removal, that’s scheduled to begin next week.
Construction work will begin by summer and should be completed by the end of fall 2020.
Over 300 trees will need to be removed as part of ground stabilization and erosion protection work, which will reinforce and protect the dike system in the area, according to the city.
Most of the trees set to be removed are cottonwoods that have grown on the water side of the dike, and are being undermined by erosion, said the city.
It’s understood the trees present a safety hazard to both road and Fraser River users.
During this preliminary work, the city will also be planting nearly 1,000 trees to replace the ones that need to be removed.
The budget for the upgrades, which is approximately $1 million, was approved as part of the 2020 capital budget.
Work on the south dike between Gilbert Road and the foot of No. 3 Road is now complete, which included raising and widening approximately 650 metres of dikes, as well as construction of an improved multi-use pathway.
The budget for that project was $6 million with actual costs coming in at $5.7 million. Two-thirds of the project was funded by the provincial government and the work took about eight months to complete.
There will also be a dike-raising project at the south dike between No. 3 Road and Finn Slough in the future, according to the city.
