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Bridge won't be delayed: Stone

Transportation minister tells Delta that despite opposition, province is committed to timeline

It's full steam ahead for the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project despite mounting opposition from outside Delta.

In a recent letter to Mayor Lois Jackson, B.C. Transportation Minister Todd Stone alleviated any concerns the bridge could be delayed, saying he appreciates the mayor's support on behalf of residents in the community, many of whom must deal with the negative impacts of congestion at the tunnel on a daily basis.

After Delta council had contacted the minister urging the government to stick with the original timeline, Stone responded by assuring civic politicians here the province remains committed to the timeline.

"We are also committed to continuing to work collaboratively with Metro Vancouver and other stakeholders to ensure that this project will meet the needs of Metro Vancouver residents for generations," wrote Stone.

Noting his ministry has consulted extensively with regional district staff throughout the planning process, Stone said the project team has had more than 25 meetings with Metro Vancouver to cover such topics as traffic, population and employment projections, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, health analysis, agriculture, Deas Island Regional Park and utilities.

He also noted public feedback throughout the process has "made it clear that improvements at this crossing are a priority."

The province maintains it does not require a federal environmental review, although opponents, including the Vancouver and Surrey dominated Metro Vancouver board, have been calling for one.

In a recent interview, Jackson expressed frustration at Metro Vancouver, suggesting politics were coming into play and that other mayors want to delay the project in order for federal infrastructure money to head toward their wish list of projects instead.

The latest opposition to the $3.5-billion bridge comes from an e-petition to Parliament by a Richmond resident, which calls for a federal environmental review. The petition by Paul Magnus, and sponsored by NDP MP Fin Donnelly, suggests the bridge would cause environmental damage and ruin farmland.

The Corporation of Delta, the Tsawwassen First Nation and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority strongly support the project.

Construction of the 10-lane, 3.3-kilometre bridge is to begin next year. It is scheduled to open in 2022.

The project includes 24 kilometres of improvements on Highway 99, a lane for transit/HOV, three replacement interchanges and five overpasses. The bridge will also be able to accommodate rapid transit in the future, but that's likely going to once again have to be a provinciallyfunded initiative as it would not likely be on TransLink's or the regional mayors' transit improvement radar.