Stretch of East 1st Avenue in Vancouver closed until Aug. 31

Starting Tuesday, East 1st Avenue in Vancouver will be closed fromNanaimo Street to Clark Drive as work continues on new gas line construction.

The stretch won't reopen until Aug. 31,asFortisBCcrews install a new gas lineunderground.

The utility saidthe current line, running from Vancouver to Coquitlam, has been in use since the 1950sand needs to be replaced.

Other streets and sections of East 1st Avenue will be affected as part of the construction work over the summer.

The full road closures are as follows:

• July 3-end August: Full closure of East 1st Avenue from Clark Drive to Nanaimo Street.
• July 3-end July: Partial lane closures of East 1st Avenuefrom Nanaimo Street to Rupert Street.
• July 3 to mid-August: Full closure of Woodland Drive from East 1st Avenue to East 2nd Avenue.
• July 3-early September: Full closure of Graveley Street from Valiant Street to Boundary Road.

Updates will be postedonFortisBC'swebsite.

FortisBC saidbusinesses along the construction route will remain open as the work proceeds.

The utility askedfor patience during the disruption, saying commuters and residents should prepare for delays andplan alternativeroutes if they can.

Other sections of underground lines in Vancouver,BurnabyandCoquitlamare also being redone. That work began in May and is expected to be finished by the end of next year.

Watch this video from FortisBCexplaining the project:

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