Subway update: Part of Broadway to reopen, new stretch to close for 6 months

Broadway between Quebec and Main streets is pictured on Saturday, Jan. 10.

A stretch of Vancouver’s Broadway corridor that has been closed to vehicles since January is set to begin reopening soon, and another few blocks are scheduled to shut down for construction of the long-awaited SkyTrain extension.

In an update on the Broadway subway project, officials said that the block between Quebec and Main streets will reopen on May 20, starting with one lane in each direction. All four lanes are expected to be back in service by July.

The final subway-related closure of Broadway is scheduled to begin after the FIFA World Cup, and will last six months. During that time, traffic will be detoured between Alberta and Cambie streets.

The province says the closure will cut the time required to rebuild the road above the Broadway-City Hall Sation down from 14 months.

“We’re using what we learned at Mount Pleasant to cut down disruption times at the Broadway-City Hall Station,” Transit Minister Mike Farnworth said, in a news release Wednesday. “Finishing construction faster means overall disruption for the area is shortened, and Broadway fully open sooner.”

The province says staff are reaching out to the businesses between Alberta and Cambie streets to “confirm access needs” and receive feedback on signage and traffic plans.

Sidewalks have remained open so people can get to businesses along the corridor during construction, but some owners have said the disruptions have led to a significant decline in customers.

The 5.7-kilometre Millennium Line extension is expected to up and running in the fall of 2027.