Delta councillor concerned over excluded overpass in Massey Tunnel replacement
Posted January 10, 2023 11:53 am.
Last Updated January 10, 2023 1:55 pm.
A Delta city councillor is sharing his concern about the lack of a second Highway 99 crossing included in the province’s plan to replace the Massey Tunnel.
That second crossing was included in the original bridge project envisioned by the previous BC Liberal government — before it was scrapped.
But Delta councillor Dylan Kruger says it doesn’t appear to be part of the NDP government’s plan to build a new tunnel.
“We’re very concerned as a council,” he told CityNews. “Right now, there’s only one exit out of Ladner and it’s coming off of Highway 17A so what happens is all the traffic will bottleneck and funnel through Ladner Trunk Road.”
Read More: B.C. Massey Tunnel update reaffirms leaders’ commitment to current plan
The original corridor upgrade proposed in 2013 included a second overpass exit from Ladner onto River Road. According to letters sent to the province by Delta Mayor George Harvie, the overpass was also included in updates from the NDP in 2020 and 2021.
However, in 2022, Harvie sent the first of two letters to Transportation Minister Rob Fleming requesting the overpass be reinstated in the project after a January 2022 update had not included it.
Delta coun. Dylan Kruger says the city is continuing to push the province to include a second overpass to cross Highway 99 as part of the province’s Massey Tunnel replacement project. (Photo credit, City of Delta)
Kruger, who is also the co-chair of Metro Vancouver’s George Massey Crossing Task Force, says the overpass would be important for the city’s future.
“We’ve been doing our long-range planning for over a decade now with regards to the future growth of our community and we’re at capacity now on our one exit. We need the second exit to maintain the flow of traffic for existing residents as well as projected growth for decades to come,” he said.
“We’ve expressed our opinion a number of times to the ministry that that’s critical for the long term planning of our city.”
The cost of the overpass, Kruger argues, amounts to a “rounding error” in the overall price tag of the corridor upgrade. The whole project is estimated to cost over $4 billion while building the overpass would cost about $40 million.
“We have to do future planning well. There’s no point in building multi-billion dollar infrastructure if we’re not setting ourselves up for success,” he said.
“These projects are much more than just the replacement of the tunnel asset itself. It’s about the entire corridor and how do we improve the flow of goods and services and people across that corridor.”
Aside from the benefit to drivers, Kruger and Harvie have highlighted the fact the overpass could also be of use for emergency responders, cyclists, public transit and pedestrians.
If the project continues to exclude the River Road overpass, Kruger says it would be a “wasted opportunity.”
In an email to CityNews, B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says there are no plans to include the River Road overpass.
“There has not been a change in plans for the Highway 99 Tunnel Program, as an overpass of Highway 99 at River Road has not been within the scope of the George Massey Crossing Project (now known as the Highway 99 Tunnel Program),” the ministry’s statement said.
“Technical analysis and conceptual drawings of an overpass at River Road were completed in 2019 and 2020 to demonstrate that the future construction of an overpass would not be precluded by a new Fraser River crossing. The Province appreciates the City of Delta’s support as we continue to engage with the federal government regarding funding for this important infrastructure asset, as well as potential additional infrastructure to benefit local communities.”
-With files from Maria Vinca
