NDP is planning band-aid solutions for Massey Tunnel replacement, says Andrew Wilkinson

Andrew Wilkinson

B.C. Liberals on Monday said that the NDP failure on a Massey Tunnel replacement shows government plans to continue punishing drivers, with no plan to fix the largest bottleneck in the province.

BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson said: “The Massey Tunnel is a traffic catastrophe – and it’s only getting worse. 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.”

B.C. Liberals said Transportation Minister Claire Trevena announced yet another study on Monday after sitting on the $1 million report since the summer. She still isn’t prepared to commit to a seismically safe replacement and instead continues to push it off as a non-priority, they added.

“After months of waiting, people in the Lower Mainland want results, not more study,” said Delta South MLA Ian Paton. “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.”

“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,” said Richmond-Queensborough MLA Jas Johal. “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.”

“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,” says 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.”