Preparations for the construction of the George Massey Tunnel replacement are ramping up, with a large part of Deas Island Park now behind fencing.
But a Delta city councillor is slamming the provincial government for how the project is impacting a busy recreational area, and for how long Highway 99 commuters have been suffering with the old crossing.
“Deas Island Regional Park is one of the jewels of Metro Vancouver,” said Coun. Dylan Kruger, in a video posted on social media. “Every year, thousands of families come here to enjoy the trail networks, birding, walking the dog, or taking in a summer rowing regatta. Well, all of that is about change.”
In the video, Kruger points to the blue construction fencing, saying it will cut off roughly a third of the park for years of tunnel construction.
“Not just public access but also removal of thousands of trees, sensitive animal ecosystems, and trail networks. It didn’t have to be this way,” said Kruger.
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He argues there was a shovel-ready project about to start construction last decade — a $2.7-billion bridge that would not have had the same impact on Deas Island or adjacent farmland on both the Delta and Richmond sides of the Fraser River.
“But nine years ago, that project was cancelled. Why? For petty partisan politics.”
The George Massey Bridge project was first proposed in 2013 by the BC Liberal government of the time.
It was cancelled in 2017, soon after the BC NDP took power, with the new government electing to go back to the drawing board and conduct another technical review for a new crossing.
That led to plans for a new eight-lane tunnel to replace the old four-lane tube.
Kruger says it is commuters on Highway 99 who have suffered in the meantime as they have dealt with continued traffic jams at the George Massey Tunnel.
“And for what? We deserved a seamless commute that would have been delivered through a 10-lane bridge replacement project. We deserved a second exit out of Ladner that would have been incorporated within the project’s scope. We deserved a highway improvement project all the way from Richmond to White Rock that has been scrapped in favour of a tunnel that may not even be built.”
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Kruger says the environmental assessment for the current replacement project has not yet been completed, even as construction is set to begin this year.
“And so while we are cutting down trees and cutting off access to Deas Island, the cost for this project continues to go up and up and up. This will go down as the biggest public infrastructure boondoggle in British Columbia history.”
The provincial government’s timeline for the Fraser River Tunnel Project has construction set to begin in 2026, with completion expected in 2030.
The eight-lane “immersed tube tunnel” will include two lanes dedicated to bus rapid transit and separated pathways for cyclists and pedestrians.
The current pricetag is said to be an estimated $4.15 billion.