‘WE WILL DO BETTER’
B.C. government vows to pay the deductible for vehicles damaged on the Alex Fraser and Port Mann bridges and to take steps to prevent a reoccurrence
The B.C. government will pay the deductible for vehicles damaged by falling ice and slush on the Alex Fraser and Port Mann bridges during Monday’s storm, Transportation Minister Todd Stone said Tuesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Insurance Corp. of B.C. had received 40 such claims — 30 from owners of vehicles crossing the Alex Fraser and 10 from the Port Mann, spokesman Sam Corea said in an emailed statement.
“ICBC is reviewing the claims from the bridges, but it appears most are for windshield damage and a few with hood or roof damage,” he said.
“We’re very thankful that no one was hurt during these incidents, but we are not happy at all that vehicles were damaged by falling snow and ice.”
The Transportation Investment Corp. will also refund tolls for affected drivers on the Port Mann, Stone said.
Drivers whose vehicles were damaged by falling snow or ice on either bridge Monday should first contact ICBC to start a claim, Stone said, and then call the B.C. Ministry of Transportation at 604-424-8240 to have their deductible refunded.
“I want to say very clearly to the people of British Columbia that we can and we will do better.”
Stone said all the safety measures will be deployed before the next snowfall hits Metro Vancouver, which weather forecasts predict will be on Thursday. Officials did a full inspection of the cables and towers of both bridges. “I’m advised that there is no accumulation of snow or ice on either the Port Mann and Alex Fraser,” he said, adding that officials will continue to closely monitor both bridges.
On the Alex Fraser Bridge, de-icing agents are being sprayed onto the cross-beams and tower ahead of the next snowfall. This will be repeated multiple times to prevent snow and ice accumulation, Stone said. Because cables don’t cross the travelling lanes on the Alex Fraser, it’s rare for snow or ice to hit cars below, he said, adding that high winds on Monday could have played a role. It is also possible the de-icer on the Alex Fraser wasn’t applied early enough or frequently enough on Monday, he said.
On the Port Mann, there are 30 collars fitted around each of the bridge’s 288 cables, which drop down to dislodge any snow or ice that has accumulated on the cables. The collars were fitted on the bridge cables in 2013 after dozens of cars were damaged by falling snow and ice on the bridge in December 2012.
“The collars are dropped at sufficient frequency to ensure that any dislodged materials are small, to prevent damage to vehicles.”
This did not happen on Monday, so on Thursday the contractor will run the collar system more frequently and earlier in the snowfall to knock off any accumulation, Stone said.
There will be stepped-up monitoring of both bridges in the coming days, and officials are investigating the damage to vehicles on Monday to see if any other measures need to be put in place.
“I want to say very clearly to the people of British Columbia that we can and we will do better.” — Todd Stone