The Massey Tunnel is a traffic catastrophe and it’s only getting worse, says Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson.
“The Massey Tunnel is a serious safety hazard. Today’s announcement shows the NDP is planning Band-Aid solutions, like minor upgrades to the tunnel or a small bridge. Neither of these options will get commuters home to their families sooner or more safely. We need a solution that plans for the next century, not a half-baked effort from the NDP,” Wilkinson stated in a news release.
Joined by Delta South MLA Ian Paton and Richmond-Queensborough MLA Jas Johal, the Liberal leader wasted no time slamming the province’s announcement which today confirmed the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project is dead.
“After months of waiting, people in the Lower Mainland want results, not more study. This is a slap in the face to those who spend hours every week idling in this huge traffic jam. It has been studied to death, the reports all say the same thing: a replacement is needed and needed now,” said Paton.
“Maybe the minister and the premier don’t drive south of the Fraser, maybe they’ve never been stuck in what has become a massive parking lot,” added Paton. “Why in the world are they condemning thousands of drivers to another decade of delays and frustrations? It seems everyone knows the tunnel needs to be fixed now, except the NDP.”
The previous Liberal government outlined its case why the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project was the best solution for the long-term
Johal noted, “People who are trying to get to work, truckers moving goods, parents late for their kid’s soccer practice and seniors off to appointments don’t have more time to give. It’s pure politics – the NDP threw away a $100 million investment on a 10-lane bridge, and now 18 months later they tell British Columbians how they’re going to fix the problem.”
A New Democrat caucus press release today took aim at the previous Liberal government and former transportation minister Todd Stone, accusing them of an “elbows up” approach by trying “to jam through a costly $3.5 billion 10-lane bridge that was rejected by communities across Metro Vancouver. And they tried to make drivers pay for it with unfair tolls.”
Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon said, “People in my region have been clear that they want a solution to congestion, but they also want the best value option and to ensure we don’t solve one problem by creating many others.”
In September 2017, the New Democrat government announced it was suspending the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project, an initiative of the previous Liberal government that would have seen a new bridge constructed by 2022. The shovel-ready project, which has been in planning since 2012, had received its environmental assessment certificate and had completed the bidding process. The government hired Stan Cowdell to lead a review of the project and options, a report the province received this summer but didn’t make public until this week. Transportation Minister Clair Trevena said a business case will be ready for a preferred option by the fall of 2020, but wouldn't say when a new crossing would be constructed.
