Toll bridge to replace tunnel makes sense
The B.C. government’s announcement this week of a $3.5-billion, 10-lane toll bridge to replace the George Massey Tunnel is welcome news. The tunnel, built in 1959, is reaching the end of its service lifespan and would need major remedial work to bring it up to today’s seismic standards. Rebuilding the tunnel would have a greater environmental impact on the Fraser River than erecting a bridge over the river.
The tunnel carries an average of 80,000 vehicles a day, including 6,000 trucks, and the traffic bottleneck that ensues leaves thousands of those vehicles idling, spewing emissions and burning expensive gasoline. The government estimates that the bridge will eliminate one million hours of idling each year.
Critics argue that a bridge is unnecessary and the money would be better spent on mass transit. But Highway 99 is a major corridor for goods, and the volume of trucks using it is expected to double within 30 years. The goods delivered by truck include the food, equipment, building supplies and other material that enable Metro Vancouver communities to function. Improved transit will do little to facilitate the delivery of these essential goods. What’s more, the bridge will have dedicated bus lanes as well as HOV and bike lanes. Cyclists cannot use the Massey Tunnel and must load their bikes onto a shuttle.
Social media trolls claim the Massey Tunnel Replacement Project is nothing but a ploy by Port Metro Vancouver to increase shipping on the Fraser River. But there are no plans to dredge the river to accommodate larger cargo vessels. On the other hand, dredging would be necessary if the tunnel were to be rebuilt.
Naturally, there are downsides to this project, not the least of which is the likelihood of the traffic bottleneck moving to the Oak Street Bridge. Besides the new bridge, the proposed project includes Highway 99 improvements between Highway 91 in Delta and Bridgeport Road in Richmond, but no plans have been revealed relating to replacement or refurbishment of the four-lane Oak Street span, which was built in 1957.
The new bridge will almost certainly be a toll bridge, and may speed the introduction of a more comprehensive road-pricing system across the region. The province will incur considerable debt to finance the project at a time when the era of low interest rates is ending (the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its key rate this week for the first time since 2006). As well, some planners fear the new bridge will quickly become congested as the region’s population continues to grow.
Disclosure about the tunnel replacement plan has been an issue since Premier Christy Clark first broached the subject at a Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in 2012. Until now, interested parties have been stymied in their efforts to obtain details about the plans. This week, documentation was posted on government websites and the public is being invited to provide feedback until Jan. 28. Residents can even sign up to get email updates about the project. Should the project get a green light, construction will begin in 2017 and the new bridge completed in 2022.
Notwithstanding the caveats and concerns, a bridge to replace the Massey Tunnel is a sensible solution.