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Counterflow considered for Alex Fraser

Province exploring idea as 30-year-old bridge is having trouble accommodating traffic volumes
bridge
Although traffic is light in this photo, the Alex Fraser Bridge can be a parking lot at rush hour.

Some major changes are coming to improve traffic flow on the Alex Fraser Bridge, changes that might also help ease driver suffering at the George Massey Tunnel.

The four-lane tunnel has had a counterflow system for decades, which increases the number of lanes northbound and southbound from two to three during rush hour.

That same idea is now being contemplated for the Alex Fraser, which turns 30 this year and has seen volumes increase sharply in recent years.

It's part of a series of improvements provincial Transportation Minister Todd Stone announced on Wednesday in Delta to help unclog congestion on the bridge and Highway 91.

Stone said the province will introduce a system that will provide travel information for the various Fraser River crossings at key decision points so motorists can adjust their routes.

It will also kick in an extra $10 million for an interchange at Highway 91 and 72nd Avenue, which would bring the provincial contribution to a total of $20 million for the $30 million project.

Other changes include more tow truck standby areas and increasing the frequency of highway patrols. The province will also continue to work with the federal government and Port of Vancouver to advance new interchanges at Nordel and Sunbury in the areas of highways 91 and 17.

During peak periods now, demand on the Alex Fraser exceeds capacity and results in queues of two to three kilometres and delays of up to 30 minutes, and in excess of two to three hours when there's a traffic incident, said Stone.

As far as how a counterflow system would work on the Alex Fraser, which has three lanes in both directions, Delta North MLA Scott Hamilton said a number of ideas will be explored, including adding a seventh lane on the bridge by removing the raised curb on both sides.

"That lane could then serve as a counter-flow lane. It wouldn't affect the sidewalks because they are cantilevered, they basically hang off the edge. It would be a destination lane, the type of lane where once you're in it, you're committed to going a certain route like the East-West Connector," he said.

Hamilton noted it could alleviate traffic elsewhere, including the tunnel, because drivers often choose a "path of least resistance" on their commute.

"Traffic is like water. People will take what they think is the easiest and quickest path to their destination and traffic usually has a breaking in period. When you look at the initial lane closures at the Pattullo Bridge, things have settled down quite considerably. People are exercising other options and two-thirds of the diverted traffic from the Pattullo is actually taking the (tolled) Port Man (Bridge)," he added.

According to the province, Highway 91 supports approximately 8,000 to 9,000 vehicles per hour in peak periods. This traffic is comprised of approximately six per cent trucks. During a recent Delta council meeting, civic politicians lamented the increased traffic on the Alex Fraser that's been exacerbated by construction work at the Pattullo, reiterating a call to toll all crossings.

"Might as well put on your tunes, because that's what you'll be listening to for two hours," remarked Mayor Lois Jackson.

Engineering director Steven Lan noted it all points to the fragility of the system and dependence on the bridges.

For more on the interchange project at Highway 91 and 72nd Avenue, the public is invited to attend an information session on Thursday, June 23, from 3:30 to 8 p.m., at the North Delta Recreation Centre.