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Massey Tunnel safety called out

Aging crossing isn't safe enough, CAO and fire chief tell Delta council
tunnel
The tunnel has a higher accident rate than the provincial average, a new report notes.

The aging George Massey Tunnel isn't a safe enough crossing.

That was the message Delta CAO George Harvie and fire Chief Dan Copeland conveyed to council on Monday.

Wanting to highlight the safety considerations for the controversial George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project, which has garnered opposition from the other regional municipalities, Copeland outlined a number of key points in a new report, including the tunnel having a significantly higher accident rate than the provincial average and that vehicular accidents tend to be more severe and result in more significant injuries and death than accidents on open roads.

Citing several examples of the challenges first responders face when dealing with accidents in the tunnel, including emergency vehicles not being able to enter, forcing first responders to enter by foot, Copeland noted health and safety concerns for the emergency personnel entering the confined space. There's also the problem of delayed emergency response due to congestion.

"In terms of disaster management, there are significant concerns with the existing tunnel, which has approximately 10 years left before major components, such as lighting, ventilation and pumping systems, need to be replaced," the report adds. "Seismic upgrades were completed in the early 2000s which will withstand smaller earthquakes; however, the tunnel will not withstand a major earthquake, and it is not feasible to upgrade it to modern seismic standards." Harvie noted they had met with Ministry of Transportation officials to talk about the safety aspect of the tunnel and were asked to come up with a report in order to send the message that the current crossing can be "very, very dangerous" and is in need of replacement.

The report will be sent directly to the other mayors, including Richmond Mayor Malcom Brodie, who has been voicing opposition to the new bridge project.

Brodie recently sent another letter to Premier Christy Clark and Transportation Minister Todd Stone reiterating his city's opposition, calling on the government to collaborate with all regional stakeholders.

The letter clearly annoyed Delta Mayor Lois Jackson, who took a few minutes at the conclusion of Monday's council meeting to bring up the letter and go over 10 "myths" Richmond has been conveying about the project, saying she needs to debunk them. Among the issues she touched upon included the new bridge passing along bottleneck traffic to the Oak Street Bridge and that Port Metro Vancouver is behind it all because the port wants bigger ships going up the Fraser. Jackson had counter arguments for each of those points. Another was that the province, in fact, had extensive consultation with the City of Richmond.

"As far as the project not being needed she countered, "This is currently the worst traffic bottleneck in B.C., according to the statistics. The project will save up to 30 minutes a day for rush hour commuters, reduce vehicle idling by one million hours and remove that nine thousand tonnes of greenhouse gas, and collisions will be reduced by an estimated 35 per cent and the saving of many lives."

Coun. Robert Campbell said Brodie and the rest of Richmond council seem "cloistered" in their city hall and he wonders how often they have to take the commute with everyone else through the tunnel during peak hours.