It doesn’t make sense.
That’s how Delta council and staff this week summed up plans by TransLink and Metro Vancouver’s Mayors’ Council to replace the aging four-lane Pattullo Bridge with a bridge that will have the same number of lanes, something that’s only going to cause more problems for other crossings.
“There’s 77,000 vehicle crossings daily and it’s actually experiencing the highest rate of growth in truck volume of all the major river crossings in the Lower Mainland. Due to the traffic congestion at the Pattullo Bridge, commuters and commercial vehicles are detouring to alternate routes and currently the Alex Fraser (Bridge) is at capacity, there’s over 100,000 vehicles per day using that crossing,” said engineering director Steven Lan.
“And now with uncertainty with the George Massey Tunnel crossing, with that replacement, there is no relief in sight. So where else will the traffic go? Two crossings that are at and beyond capacity currently,” he added.
The proposed Pattullo crossing will have the structural foundations to expand to six lanes in the future.
A report to council notes the bridge is an important link in the region’s major road network but has significant traffic congestion during peak periods.
By not providing additional capacity and by adding tolls, traffic volumes at the Alex Fraser will increase, the report adds, noting it’s apparent the additional capacity is already required.
“It does not make any sense for them to wait to go to six lanes,” said Lan. “Would any of us want to go through another year or two of them converting basically a brand new four-lane bridge after they realize there is a shortfall of capacity, then spend another year or two widening that out?”
Mayor Lois Jackson agreed, noting the new bridge will be at or over capacity on the day it opens.
The project is currently undergoing an assessment led by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office, which is accepting comments until later this month.
“We wanted to ensure that when we make our comments to the environmental assessment agency, we highlight that the project must meet the goals of economic and social sustainability before an environmental assessment certificate should be issued and, in particular, a full analysis of the traffic impacts be undertaken, and what we believe will be impacts to both the Alex Fraser and George Massey Tunnel,” Lan added.
