Delta mayor fears Pattullo project means Massey Tunnel replacement ‘dead in the water’

The eight-decade-old Pattullo Bridge is finally being put out to pasture, and almost no one is sorry to see it go.

But while virtually everyone says they’re pleased to hear the bridge will be retired, the NDP’s plan to replace the aging span has earned less than universal acclaim.

Delta’s mayor in particular raised concerns that the province taking on the full cost of the $1.37-billion project means the long-promised Massey Tunnel replacement is now “dead in the water.”

The NDP government put the Massey replacement on hold in September while it commissioned an independent review of the project.

Questioned on the future of the Massey project on Friday, Premier John Horgan would only say, “We’ll have announcements to be making very shortly in Richmond on a range of issues.”

In neighbouring Surrey, however, the Pattullo replacement won a more favourable response — despite the fact that the project will initially be built with only four lanes.

Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner said that while her city had hoped for more, the final decision was a fair compromise.

“On the other side of the Fraser, we have always said that a six-lane would make transportation a little more seamless,” she said.

“So the fact that it can be expandable to six lanes is where we landed, I’m comfortable with that for the time being.”

The Surrey Board of Trade (SBoT) echoed Hepner — both in applauding the government for replacing the bridge, and in calling for more lanes.

“We must prepare for transportation infrastructure for future population growth,” said CEO Anita Huberman in a statement.

Pipeline fallout?

The opposition BC Liberals wasted no time attacking the NDP’s plan to take on sole funding responsibility for the multi-billion dollar project, a decision party leader Andrew Wilkinson tied to the province’s simmering trade dispute with Alberta.

Wilkinson said the NDP’s opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion has made the province enemies in Ottawa, and will end up costing taxpayers.

“Normally you can get twice as much infrastructure for the same amount of provincial money when you involve the federal government,” said Wilkinson.

“They’re obviously on such bad terms with the government of Canada that they’re not even willing to ask them for a contribution to the Pattullo Bridge, and chances are they’ve annoyed the federal government so much they wouldn’t get it anyway.”

The BC Greens, on whom the NDP rely to remain in power, were more supportive of the plan, particularly its inclusion of walking and cycling pathways.

However, the party also pointed to funding questions, highlighting the fact that the NDP has already assumed more than $4 billion in debt by cancelling tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges.

The party said it wants to see the results of the Independent Commission on Mobility Pricing‘s final report, and called on the NDP to firm up funding for the Broadway Subway and Surrey Light Rail.