Delta is once again calling on the provincial government to address safety concerns in the George Massey Tunnel.
Delta council this week endorsed recommendations in a staff report that outlines a series of problems, including deteriorating concrete, that add to the “extremely challenging” conditions first responders face when dealing with emergencies in the crossing.
CAO George Harvie also outlined a litany of safety issues with the 58-year-old tunnel, including the lighting that he notes does not meet current North American standards, the electrical system, the lack of a proper warning system for over-height vehicles that results in damage to the sprinkler system as well as the aging ventilation system.
Noting the previous government also ignored the problems, Harvie said Delta needs to keep the pressure on to ensure the safety issues are addressed.
“Rather than waiting another five years or another study, or whatever time it takes, these are paramount that they are addressed right now. Even if the bridge was announced, it would take at least five years before it can be open,” he said.
Fire Chief Dan Copeland noted the ambulance service protocol is that crews will not enter the tunnel and load a patient for transport due to the conditions, which means fire crews have to take patients out of the tube.
He said the biggest issue for emergency crews is access. Richmond’s fire chief also supports the recommendations in the Delta report, Copeland said.
Coun. Sylvia Bishop said it’s not just emergency responders but the travelling public that shouldn’t be subjected to the poor conditions within the tunnel, such as fumes and bad lighting.
Coun. Bruce McDonald said there’s an “immense amount of misunderstanding and convoluted logic” from Metro Vancouver directors when it comes to the need to replace the tunnel, noting he was told by one civic politician last week that traffic in the tunnel should be down significantly following the provincial government’s removal of tolls on other crossings.
Engineering director Steven Lan said volumes are approaching 90,000 vehicles per day and figures for September, following the removal of tolls on two Lower Mainland bridges, only showed a slight decrease.
The province last month announced it’s suspending the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project, which would have seen a 10-lane bridge constructed, pending a third-party technical review. That review, which could see a different crossing recommended or nothing at all, won’t be completed until sometime next spring.
Some Metro mayors have argued against building new infrastructure to replace the tunnel and want the province to direct the money to other projects in the region.
