Photo: Glacier Media

It looks like it'll take at least three years longer than initially estimated for the Surrey SkyTrain extension.

Opening day will be sometime in 2028, according to a report from TransLink to its board of directors; initial estimates made in 2020 suggested construction would begin in 2022 and opening day would be in 2025 on the first section.

A previous report, in March, mentioned the pandemic had interrupted plans and noted that TransLink management was working to "transition responsibility for project delivery to the Province" after the October 2020 B.C. election, but didn't update a timeline for the project. A May report noted completion of the project transition would be complete by this fall

In the most recent report, issued Aug. 31, noted funding is still being sought for the project, currently estimated to have a $3.94 billion budget. This summer Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government would contribute $1.3 billion to the complete project out to Langley.

"Management is working with provincial staff to assess options to fund the remaining project cost and determining governance, roles and responsibilities of (the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain)," states the report.

This includes continued development of the plan's business case.

Additionally, previously the extension was going to be built in multiple stages, with Stage 1 adding 7 km; the current plan is to do the entire extension (16 km), according to the report. Not only does this affect the timeline (Stage 1 was to be finished in 2025, with future extensions coming later), but also creates a larger burden on support systems.

Initially, the support for Stage 1 was going to be absorbed by the system's other Operations and Maintenance Centres; there are three now, with a fourth coming for the Broadway subway.

"The further extension of the network to Langley introduces additional requirements and the opportunity to address strategic network growth through construction of a phased OMC facility near the Langley terminus," states the report.

Due to the increases from the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain, and its distance from other OMCs, a new one will be needed before the new extension opens.