SURREY, B.C. – The South Surrey and White Rock Chamber of Commerce is voicing its support for one completed project and another announced initiative.

The four-lane Nicomeki River crossing bridge has been completed and three new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes have been announced by the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation in collaboration with TransLink.

The completed four-lane $22.5 million Nicomeki River crossing bridge on King George Boulevard replaces both the single-lane Bailey Bridge and a two-lane timber trestle bridge.

“This is a significant milestone for our region. The Nicomekl River crossing project, combined with the expansion of the King George Boulevard corridor, represents a substantial investment in our community’s infrastructure and future growth,” South Surrey and White Rock Chamber of Commerce executive director Ritu Khanna said in a statement.

The three priority BRT corridors are King George Boulevard from Surrey Centre to White Rock, Langley Centre to Haney Place and Metrotown to Park Royal. BRT is a high-frequency rapid-transit service with dedicated bus lanes and rail-like stations as well as high-capacity buses.

“The corridors have been strategically selected based on ridership potential, increasing access to jobs, future housing and development growth along the corridor, feasibility of implementing new transit priority infrastructure, and early support from local governments,” a chamber release stated.

TransLink and local government partners will now begin work on the concept designs and community engagement to gather public input and ensure the BRT corridors align with community needs, the release added.

The Nicomeki River crossing bridge is open to the public.