Roadwork is ongoing in front of Maple Ridge Secondary and will continue until late November between 216th and 222nd streets. The District of Maple Ridge is asking parents to drop off students either on 124th Avenue or southeast of the school at 121st Avenue and Dunbar Street.

Construction began in early August on the section of Mountainview Crescent and 122nd Avenue. The project has been broken into phases with the first part of the project focused on the area directly in front of Maple Ridge Secondary School and west to 216th Street.

The road cannot be used as an east-west route for commuting, and until the project is completed in late November, there will be disruptions for parents, students and the school staff to varying degrees.

A traffic management plan has been put in place for the first phase of the project, and will be implemented beginning on today (Tuesday) and remain in effect throughout the project.

Arrangements have been made to deal with staff vehicles and the students who have mobility challenges to ensure that they can get onto the school site. The administration team at Maple Ridge Secondary School will work with staff and the affected students to ensure that they have the access information. All other vehicles will be diverted, with student loading and unloading happening in two specific areas.

The first drop-off and pick-up area is located on 124th Avenue in the area north of Merkley Park that borders the school site. The section of road in front of the park will be designated as a loading and unloading area, with no long-term parking.

Flaggers and bylaws staff will be on location to keep vehicles moving. Students will be able to walk to the school along the path system from 124th Avenue through the park and sports complex. This will be the best area for all parents to drop off and pick up students.

The second drop-off and pick-up area is located southeast of the school along 122nd Avenue at the intersection of 121st Avenue and Dunbar Street.

The other streets that intersect 122nd Avenue, Acadia, Dover, 220th Street and York will all be closed to the public and designated for resident traffic. To create a safe flow of vehicles, traffic will be diverted at 222nd Street south to Dewdney Trunk Road to ensure that vehicles accessing these temporary drop-off and pick-up areas are heading north on 121st Avenue and Dunbar Street to create better pedestrian safety.

The goal is to create a common flow of traffic making it easier for the students walking in the area to keep track of traffic.

The District is asking all parents and students to respect the property and access of area residents in these temporary drop-off and pick-up zones.

In the short term, the construction contractor will be concentrating on completing the sidewalks along the construction zone, with the paving for vehicles being the final stage of their work.

Students walking to Glenwood Elementary School should divert from 122nd Avenue to either Dewdney Trunk Road or 124th Avenue until the project is complete.

The traffic safety plan and the project details are on the District website at mapleridge.ca. As the project construction continues updates will be made to the public on the District website and on the District’s Facebook and Twitter feeds which are both called @yourmapleridge.