A large retaining wall built as part of the Port Mann/Highway 1 project near the Coleman Street on-ramp will require upgrades after engineers discovered the barrier did not meet provincial standards.
Max Logan, communications director for the PMH1 project, said the construction contract calls for a wall that will last 75 years. Recent assessments found that the work fell short, however, and crews have been busy upgrading the retaining structure for the last week.
"They were doing an assessment and the assessment found they were not going to meet that durability work," Logan said. "They are now in the process of making some upgrades to it."
He was quick to point out that the retaining wall will not need to be replaced. Construction crews will remove the outside layer of cosmetic concrete, which is being replaced by additional layers of concrete to reinforce the barrier's strength.
Logan said once the work is complete, engineers expect the wall will meet the provincial standards called for in the construction contract.
Because there is a fixed-price agreement between the contractor and the province, he added, taxpayers will not be on the hook for any additional costs that may come from the extra work.
"All of the elements of the project are being delivered at a previously agreed upon price," he said.
Upgrades to the retaining wall are not expected to delay the overall timeline of the project, Logan said.
The PMH1 project includes a new 10-lane Port Mann Bridge, the widening of Highway 1 and upgrades to the interchanges linking with the freeway.
The project will cost taxpayers $2.46 billion and spans a distance of approximately 37 km, from the McGill Street interchange in Vancouver to 216th Street in Langley.
