Residents near Fraser River tunnel construction push for noise barriers and worry about home values

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Meanwhile, residents say the closed trail is now presenting a hazard because it has not been securely shut, so riders are hopping a flimsy barrier and riding onto the construction site.

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Construction underway near the Riverwoods neighbourhood. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /PNG

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Grant worries the delays and inconveniences are hurting their home values in an already slumped market.

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Most of the residents are seniors in their 70s and 80s who will eventually be looking to sell their properties, she said.

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Grant has been living at Riverwoods since it was built in 2005 and only recently retired from her senior real estate position as director of leasing and risk management at Shato Holdings, which developed Riverwoods and still owns property in the area.

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She was the point person for Shato when construction of the Canada Line affected White Spot restaurant locations at Oakridge Centre and also in Richmond.

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“I know the effects that it had on commercial businesses during that period,” said Grant. “But none of these, as far as in my memory, affected residential homeowners the way this is.”

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It wasn’t that long ago that homeowners would receive notes left on their doors from people interesting in buying.

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“They would say, ‘If you’re going to sell, please, this is my number,'” said resident Claire Wagner.

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There is little chance of that happening now. One home was taken off the market after 11 months, another has been for sale for six months without an offer.

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Riverwoods neighbourhood Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /PNG

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A June 2025 City of Delta staff report anticipated “a significant impact on property values in the Riverwoods neighbourhood during the construction period and beyond, with the highway being closer than it is currently and the long construction period they will have to endure.”

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The report went on to say the city had “reiterated a previous request for the province to offer purchase of Riverwoods homes in compensation for the construction and future operational noise impacts.”

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The Transportation Ministry said in a statement that representatives from the project have been meeting with Riverwoods residents since February 2023 to share information and discuss concerns.

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It said that noise barrier installation “has been scheduled to align with early construction activities, including grading, backfilling and site readiness.”

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“As much as possible, work activities will be sequenced to backfill the area along the Riverwoods property first so that the temporary noise barrier can be installed as early as possible.”

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The ministry said that “in the meantime, the contractor is implementing measures to help manage construction-related noise,” but did not elaborate on what these are.

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The bike trail needed to be closed, the ministry added, “to protect public safety while work is underway.”

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The residents differ in terms of what compensation might look like — should it be funds to install windows that stay closed, money to cover the loss in home value, or funds to sell their homes outright?

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Said Suckling: “I think if they would have followed what they said they were going to do and minimize the impact, that would have minimized the impact to saleability.”

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Vicky Sargent in her Riverwoods neighbourhood. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /PNG

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