Port Mann, Alex Fraser lane closures due to snow likely: Ministry

The B.C. government is warning drivers of lane closures on bridges crossing the Fraser River Saturday, as the Lower Mainland is expected to be hit by up to 30 centimetres of snow.

In a statement Thursday afternoon, the province says with periods of heavy snow expected Saturday into Sunday morning, lane closures on the Port Mann and Alex Fraser bridges will be in place for snow and ice operations.

“Drivers should be aware that provincial bridges and highways may be closed on short notice to prioritize driver and passenger safety,” the ministry said, adding its contractors are “proactively applying anti-icing brine, and will plow and sand to manage any accumulation of snow.”

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a special weather statement for parts of B.C.’s South Coast, calling for anywhere between 10 cm and 30 cm of snow to come down this weekend.

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The statement covers all of Metro Vancouver, as well as the Fraser Valley, Sunshine Coast, Sea the Sky Highway from Squamish to Whistler, and Howe Sound.

Avoid unnecessary travel this weekend: Ministry

The ministry says drivers should avoid all unnecessary travel while conditions are poor over the weekend, and should prepare for delays and longer commutes.

“Drivers can assist maintenance crews by providing space for them on highways and moving over safely when they see a vehicle with an amber light approaching. This will allow crews to improve road conditions to reduce hazards for drivers,” it says, adding if you do drive on Saturday, make sure you have winter tires.

Speaking to CityNews Thursday, Mainroad Lower Mainland Contracting reiterated the government’s suggestion of staying home, by asking rivers to assess whether they actually need to be out on the roads at all if the snow starts piling up.

“If you have to be on the road during the snow event, make sure your car or truck or vehicle is adequately equipped for winter events. You know, it’s got proper snow tires, it’s got proper wiper blades, you’ve got wiper fluid in your vehicle, as well as having your tank topped up,” General Manager Darren Ell said.

Meanwhile, the City of Vancouver says it has over 100 vehicles ready to go Saturday for snow and ice removal on transport routes, including roads, sidewalks, and bike paths, “along with 3000 tonnes of salt at our yards, and hundreds of personnel available to deploy as required.”

The city is reminding residents that it is their responsibility to shovel sidewalks around homes and businesses.

New Westminster councillor renews call for ‘snow summit’

While these major weather events are out of anybody’s control, there have been calls for regional stakeholders to take part in a “snow summit” to debrief after a major event.

Surrey city councillor Linda Annis and New Westminster councillor Daniel Fontaine made such a plea after last November’s snowfall that left major roadways inundated.

“We get two, potentially three snow storms a winter, they impact our regional transportation network. I think, if nothing else, that would provide justification for us to have more of a regional approach on this type of stuff,” Fontaine told CityNews on Friday.

Read More: ‘It was a brutal day’: Calls grow for Metro Vancouver to better prepare for snow

During that November storm, numerous people were left stranded on highways for hours, with some reporting their regular commutes took up to 12 hours.

Fontaine says police, fire, and paramedic response is also affected by inclement weather, adding these stakeholders should be included in a summit.

“We still collectively don’t know. We still don’t have answers as to why our transportation system completely collapsed that day and we’re going into another snowstorm without any answers,” he said.

“How are we going to be reacting to that? We can continue to do everything as normal and just continue to respond as we have in the past 10 or 20 years, or we can adapt.”

While there has been little discussion on improvements following the two storms so far this season, Fontaine hopes that “the right minds” can come together in the spring to talk about changes.

“It’s not a finger-pointing, it’s not a blame game exercise. It really is about learning and adapting,” he said. “I don’t think that’s a lot to ask for.”

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