# Fremont Connector: Route, Timeline & 2026 Status | Port Coquitlam > The Fremont Connector is a planned two-lane arterial linking Burke Mountain to north Port Coquitlam via Devon, Prairie and Burns Road. The route, cost, timeline and what's holding it up in 2026. **Source:** https://soldbycraig.ca/blog/fremont-connector-port-coquitlam-burke-mountain/ **Author:** Craig Johnston, REALTOR® (BC Licence V99960) · Royal LePage Elite West **Site:** https://soldbycraig.ca --- ## The Fremont Connector: the route, the timeline, and where it actually stands in 2026. A new two-lane road from the east end of Victoria Drive down Devon Road, Prairie Avenue and Burns Road to the existing Fremont Connector at Dominion Avenue — a second way off Burke Mountain that has been on the map for decades. The design was finished in 2021. Here is what’s planned, why there’s still no shovel in the ground, and what it means if you own or are buying on Burke Mountain or in north PoCo. Quick answer ## The one-minute version. What A two-lane arterial road with a multi-use path for walking and cycling Route Victoria Dr → Fremont St → Lincoln → Devon → Prairie → Burns → Dominion Status Preliminary design done (2021). Funding agreement still being worked out. Construction No date. The original 2024/2025 start came and went. **The honest read:** the route is settled and both cities want it built. What’s missing is money and a schedule. Until those are announced, treat the Fremont Connector as a long-term plan — not something to price into a home today. Status from the City of Coquitlam — [Fremont Connector Project →](https://www.coquitlam.ca/1122/Fremont-Connector-Project) ### A second way down Burke Mountain traffic funnels onto Coast Meridian Road and Cedar Drive. The connector adds a third north–south route on the east side, toward the Pitt River. ### Straight to the highways Through the existing Fremont Connector to Lougheed Highway, the Pitt River Bridge and the Mary Hill Bypass toward Highway 1. ### $25–30 million Port Coquitlam’s 2021 estimate, including land, intersections and the path. No updated figure has been published. ### Funding The cities planned to seek provincial and federal grants. Coquitlam says details will follow once the funding agreement is finalized. ## What the Fremont Connector is — and the part that already exists. If you’ve driven from the Mary Hill Bypass up to Dominion Avenue, you’ve already been on the Fremont Connector. The southern section is built: it runs north from Lougheed Highway and the Mary Hill Bypass to Dominion Avenue. What people mean when they talk about “the Fremont Connector” today is the **extension north** — the missing link up to northeast Coquitlam. That extension has been in both cities’ official community plans and transportation plans for a very long time. Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West put it plainly when the route was agreed in December 2021: “The Fremont Connector has been considered for decades.” Port Coquitlam council chose Devon Road for its section back in 2015. The preliminary design the two cities signed off on calls for: - **Two travel lanes** — one each way. Earlier concepts were four lanes; the design was narrowed to two. - **Intersection improvements**, including turning lanes. - **A multi-use path** beside the road for pedestrians and cyclists. On length, the sources don’t quite agree. The cities’ 2021 announcement called it a **4.7-kilometre** arterial road; Coquitlam’s current project page describes a **3.5-kilometre** extension. Either way, it is roughly the distance from Victoria Drive to Dominion Avenue along the eastern edge of the two cities. The route has been settled since 2021. What hasn’t been settled is who pays, and when. ## The route, segment by segment. ### 1. Victoria Drive to Lincoln Avenue (Coquitlam) The road starts at the **east end of Victoria Drive** and runs south along the existing **Fremont Street road allowance** — land already set aside for a road — to Lincoln Avenue. This is the piece that gives east Burke Mountain, including the Partington Creek area, a direct route south. Coquitlam’s engineering staff said in 2021 that Lincoln Avenue and the **Deboville Slough crossing** would be widened as part of the work. ### 2. Lincoln Avenue to Prairie Avenue via Devon Road (Port Coquitlam) From Lincoln, the route jogs east and follows the existing **Devon Road** south to Prairie Avenue. Port Coquitlam council’s feedback on its 2024 Master Transportation Plan flagged one design detail here: the **Lincoln/Devon intersection** needs to accommodate turning trailers — a reminder that this is working farmland, not a subdivision. ### 3. Prairie Avenue to Dominion Avenue via Burns Road (Port Coquitlam) A short stretch along **Prairie Avenue** takes the route to **Burns Road**, which runs straight south to Dominion Avenue and meets the completed Fremont Connector. From there it’s a short drive to Lougheed Highway, the Pitt River Bridge and the Mary Hill Bypass. ### Two things about this land that shape the project - **It’s farmland.** Much of the route crosses agricultural land, and in 2021 the project still needed Agricultural Land Commission approval. Mayor West said then that the Commission had given a “positive indication.” - **It’s floodplain — behind a dike.** The road sits in the Pitt River floodplain, but Coquitlam’s engineering staff said the adjacent dike protects it, so the road won’t need to be raised. ## The timeline: what was promised, and what happened. The clearest way to understand where the Fremont Connector stands is to put the dates side by side. - **2015** — Port Coquitlam council picks Devon Road for its section of the route. - **December 2021** — Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam finish the preliminary design and agree on the alignment. The plan: public consultation, design and permitting starting in 2022, and **construction starting in 2024/2025**. Estimated cost: $25–30 million. - **December 2023** — Port Coquitlam’s traffic counts show double-digit growth on its main roads. Mayor West says the City is “working diligently with the City of Coquitlam” to make the connector a reality. - **July 2024** — Feedback on Port Coquitlam’s draft Master Transportation Plan includes 32 comments asking for the Fremont Connector to be built as soon as possible. Council lists it among the projects to tackle first. - **April 2025** — During the federal election, the Conservative Party pledged to help fund the Fremont Connector. That party did not form government, and no federal funding for the project has been announced. - **October 2026** — Coquitlam’s project page says funding is being worked out between the two cities, and that “more details on project timelines” will follow once the funding agreement is finalized. No construction date. In other words: the 2024/2025 construction start was missed, and nothing has replaced it yet. That isn’t unusual for a regional road that depends on grants from two other levels of government — but it means anyone telling you the road is “coming soon” is guessing. Watch for two things: a signed funding agreement between the cities, and a grant announcement. Those are what turn a planned road into a scheduled one. ## Why it matters: the traffic numbers. Burke Mountain is still growing. Coquitlam expects it to reach about **50,000 residents** at full build-out — including about 15,000 in Partington Creek — and almost all of them leave the mountain by the same two roads: **Coast Meridian Road** and **Cedar Drive**. #### Vehicles a day on Coast Meridian Between Victoria and Greenmount, in Port Coquitlam’s 2022 count — up 34% since 2016. #### On the existing Fremont Connector Between Seaborne and Nicola, from the 2018 count to the 2022 count. #### Projected daily trips by 2050 Coquitlam’s 2021 projection for the new road north of Lincoln Avenue. #### Travel lanes Down from four in earlier concepts, plus a multi-use path for walking and cycling. Both cities say the connector is meant to take pressure off **Coast Meridian Road, Prairie Avenue and Cedar Drive**. For drivers on the east side of Burke Mountain heading to the Pitt River Bridge, Maple Ridge or Highway 1 via the Mary Hill Bypass, it would be a more direct line than cutting west through Port Coquitlam. ### For cyclists and walkers The multi-use path may matter as much as the road. HUB Cycling’s Tri-Cities committee said in 2021 it would be “the first fully-protected north-south bike route in Port Coquitlam that isn’t a trail.” HUB also raised fair concerns: the blind corner near Victoria Avenue and Cedar Drive, the need for lighting to make the path usable year-round, and the risk of a “bike lane to nowhere” if the south end on Dominion Avenue only offers a painted line. ## What it means if you own or are buying here. I live on Burke Mountain, and I get asked about this road a lot. My answer is the same every time: it’s a real plan with a settled route, and it’s not funded. Make decisions on what exists today. ### East Burke Mountain owners and buyers If you live or are buying toward the eastern side of the mountain, the connector is the project that would most change your commute toward the Pitt River Bridge and Highway 1. It’s a genuine long-term positive. It’s also a reason not to overpay for “future access” — nobody can tell you when it opens. My [west vs. east Burke Mountain guide](/blog/where-to-buy-on-burke-mountain-west-vs-east-2026/) covers how access differs across the mountain today. ### Homes and acreages along Devon, Prairie and Burns If you own on the route, the connector cuts both ways. A quiet rural road becomes an arterial: more traffic, more noise, intersection changes and possibly land acquisition along the frontage — the 2021 cost estimate explicitly included land. If you’re buying on one of these roads, ask the City directly whether the property is affected by the planned road widths, and read the title for any road dedications before your subjects come off. ### North Port Coquitlam neighbourhoods For established neighbourhoods west of Fremont Street, the main effect would be indirect: fewer Burke Mountain commuters on Coast Meridian and Prairie, if the road performs as planned. That’s a quality-of-life benefit, not something to put a dollar figure on. **What I won’t do** is tell you the connector will add a specific amount to anyone’s home value. No one can support that number, and B.C. real estate rules don’t allow a REALTOR® to promise one. What I can do is show you how comparable homes with easier and harder access have actually sold — using sales that are accurate comparables, not guesses. ## Buying near the route? Check these first. - **Exact location:** is the property on Fremont Street, Lincoln, Devon, Prairie or Burns, or does it front onto one of the intersections? - **Road allowance and frontage:** ask the City whether any part of the lot is needed for the future road or intersection. - **Title:** pull the title and read every charge, including any road dedication or statutory right-of-way. - **Agricultural land:** if the property is in the Agricultural Land Reserve, know what the ALR allows before you plan anything. - **Floodplain:** confirm the flood construction level and your insurance options on low-lying lots near the Pitt River. - **Current status:** check Coquitlam’s project page and sign up for its project notifications — the City says details will change as the project moves. The City of Coquitlam takes questions at [fremont@coquitlam.ca](mailto:fremont@coquitlam.ca). ## Fremont Connector FAQ ## Sources & methodology Route, design and current status are from the City of Coquitlam’s [Fremont Connector Project](https://www.coquitlam.ca/1122/Fremont-Connector-Project) page (read October 7, 2026) and the cities’ joint December 16, 2021 announcement. The cost estimate, lane change, 2050 traffic projection, floodplain and Agricultural Land Commission details are from the [Tri-City News (December 2021)](https://www.tricitynews.com/local-news/coquitlam-port-coquitlam-reach-agreement-on-long-awaited-fremont-connector-route-4872443); the 2021 timeline and HUB Cycling comments from [Tri-Cities Dispatch (December 2021)](https://tricitiesdispatch.com/coquitlam-port-coquitlam-connector/) and [Daily Hive (December 2021)](https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/fremont-connector-arterial-road-port-coquitlam); traffic counts from [Tri-Cities Dispatch (January 2024)](https://tricitiesdispatch.com/vehicle-traffic-rises-by-double-digits-on-port-coquitlams-major-roadways/); Master Transportation Plan feedback from Port Coquitlam’s July 2, 2024 Committee of Council report; and the 2025 campaign pledge from the [Conservative Party of Canada (April 18, 2025)](https://www.conservative.ca/port-coquitlam-priorities/). The route map is from the cities’ project materials. Project details and timelines can change — confirm current status with the City of Coquitlam or Port Coquitlam. This article is general information, not legal, planning or financial advice. ## Keep exploring Burke Mountain and Port Coquitlam. The pages below go deeper on the places this road connects. #### Burke Mountain Guide Neighbourhoods, schools, amenities and what’s still being built. #### West vs. East Burke Mountain How access, schools and prices differ across the mountain. #### Partington Creek Guide The east-side neighbourhood with the most riding on the connector. #### Port Coquitlam Real Estate Neighbourhoods, schools, commute and the market — the complete PoCo guide. #### Coquitlam vs. Port Coquitlam Prices, lots, schools and lifestyle, side by side. #### Burke Mountain Homes for Sale Search current Burke Mountain listings. ## Weighing a home near the route? Let’s look at it together. Whether you own on Burke Mountain or in north Port Coquitlam and want to know where your home stands, or you’re buying and want an honest read on access and traffic — let’s have a 20-minute call. Craig Johnston, REALTOR® V99960 · Royal LePage Elite West · 604-202-6092 Continue your research ## More on Port Coquitlam — built by a Tri-Cities specialist. Master guide ### Port Coquitlam — the complete guide Neighbourhoods, schools, commute and the honest local read. Home value ### What’s my Port Coquitlam home worth? How PoCo homes are priced right now, and what moves the number. Relocation ### Moving to Port Coquitlam For families moving in from Vancouver, Burnaby or out of province. Compare ### Coquitlam vs. Port Coquitlam Prices, lots, schools and lifestyle, side by side. About the author ### [Craig Johnston, REALTOR®](/coquitlam-realtor-craig-johnston/) 9+ year Burke Mountain resident and 47+ year Tri-Cities native, with Royal LePage Elite West. BC Real Estate License V99960, regulated by the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA). Specializes in Coquitlam, Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau, Heritage Mountain, Port Moody, Anmore acreage, and Belcarra Indian Arm waterfront. Move-up family representation, first-time buyer guidance, $2M+ luxury, off-market network access. [Full bio + credentials →](/coquitlam-realtor-craig-johnston/) [Book a free strategy call](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) Tri-Cities monthly ## Local, once a month. September 2026 Coquitlam detached HPI is $1,584,400, -6.6% YoY. What that means for your buy or sell decision — without the salesy fluff. One email per month. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam, no listings flood, no marketing automation games. Genuine monthly update from a 47+ year Tri-Cities resident. ## A specialist for your specific Tri-Cities city or neighbourhood.