The Pattullo Bridge replacement won't be big enough - and that's bad news for Delta.
That's the warning from Delta council and municipal staff who are expressing dismay over the approved design for the replacement project connecting Surrey and New Westminster, saying it means even more vehicles going through Delta.
The Mayors' Council last week approved a $2 billion plan that will launch Metro Vancouver's biggest transit and transportation investment in nearly a decade. Phase One of the 10-Year Vision, which starts in January, includes an increase in bus and other transit service, while Phase Two, which still requires funding commitments from senior governments, includes the much talked about Pattullo Bridge replacement.
The plan is to replace the four-lane Pattullo Bridge with a tolled four-lane span, which those in Delta fear would increase traffic on the Alex Fraser Bridge. The Alex Fraser experienced a taste of added congestion during rehabilitation work on the Pattullo Bridge earlier this year, said engineering director Steven Lan.
Mayor Lois Jackson said it's disappointing a four-lane bridge would even be considered, noting very little of the growth south of the Fraser has come from Delta, but the community is going to bear the brunt of traffic congestion.
"I really think it's quite a travesty when we have two municipalities stating they want to replace the four-lane bridge, which is a huge cost, with that. With all due respect to Surrey and New Westminster, what it simply does is move all the traffic to the Alex Fraser. I really am absolutely amazed that this is able to go ahead and all the mayors of the Lower Mainland are supporting replacement of a four-lane bridge with another four-lane bridge."
Another concern is the tolling issue. The Delta report notes that unless an equitable mobility pricing system is implemented prior to the completion of the Pattullo replacement, the Alex Fraser Bridge will become the only free alternative for the south of the Fraser drivers.
Council agreed to send Delta's concerns to the province as well as the federal government, hoping to convince the senior governments to stipulate changes before any money comes this way.
