The aging Pattullo Bridge connecting Surrey and New Westminster has been begging for improvements for years and frustration is mounting that no decisions have been made on its replacement.
Translink has spent $4 million on more than two dozen studies and yet there is still no firm plan to improve safety and traffic flow.
Often truck drivers are forced to use two lanes to cross the narrow bridge.
“Since 2002, when Translink took over this bridge, they’ve had 40 technical studies, seven safety analysis, and 10 structural studies, and 12 design studies done on this particular bridge,” says Surrey city councillor Tom Gill. “And really, they’ve spent $4 million to tell us what we already we know; that this bridge needs to be replaced.”
Millions of dollars worth of studies have only proven what thousands of commuters know from driving the route every day: accidents are a deadly and regular occurrence.
It’s time to get on with it, say Surrey city councillors.
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The biggest stumbling block is New Westminster, according to Surrey City Hall.
New Westminster wants a new four-lane bridge with tolls, while the City of Surrey wants a six-lane span with no tolls.
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“New Westminster has made a strong case that replacing the bridge with a four-lane bridge is the most reasonable approach,” says Jonathan Cote, New Westminster city councillor. “The studies have all shown that there isn’t the demand to increase the capacity on that bridge, and the reality is that the road network on the New West side of the bridge simply cannot handle more traffic.”
“Wasting hundreds of millions of dollars expanding the capacity of the Patullo Bridge, when it’s not going to do anything to improve congestion, it just doesn’t make any sense,” says Cote.
Surrey city council says Translink has set aside $300 million and feels confident it can get money from Victoria and Ottawa for a billion-dollar six-lane bridge.
New Westminster says they’re already seeing 6,000 more vehicles crossing per day into the city because drivers are staying away from the tolled Port Mann Bridge.
To Surrey city council, this is nothing but a filibuster.
“Certainly when you look at the reality of life, and the incidents and accidents that have happened on that bridge, and the fatalities that would likely have been avoided, certainly it’s a really frustrating item,” says Gill.
“Plain and simple, the City of Surrey is not willing to have any discussions and are being very stubborn with their position that it has to be their way or the highway,” says Cote.
In the meantime, the 76-year-old span awaits a replacement.
— with files from Jas Johal, Global News
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