Transport critic maintains new Massey Tunnel should have been a bridge

The government of British Columbia recently announced that it would be re-tendering contracts for work on the new Massey Tunnel in order to "seek the best value" for taxpayers.

BC Conservative MLA and Transportation Critic Harman Bhangu warned that the move could lead to more delays, remaining steadfast in his belief that a bridge would have been a better option.

In 2013, the BC Liberals under then-premier Christy Clark proposed a $3.5 billion bridge to replace the aging tunnel. Local mayors expressed frustration over lack of consultation, and when the BC NDP took power, Clark's successor John Horgan scrapped the bridge idea after $100 million had already been spent.

In an interview with Sitka Media, Bhangu accused the government of putting the complaints of a few mayors over the needs of the general public.

"I don't think George Harvie or on the other side Malcolm Brodie are engineers or professionals in building construction projects," he said. "Everyone was saying we have a bridge ready to build right now."

He pointed out that "the public wanted something built, there was something in place, and the NDP killed that — and now they have scrapped this and they're going right back to the restart button."

"The fact of the matter is there could have been a new ten lane bridge already built three years ago," Bhangu continued, "and especially when they wanna upgrade the port system, it is very important that we actually build these infrastructure jobs on time and on budget."

The new tunnel was originally estimated to cost $4.15 billion and be completed by 2030, and while the government has claimed things are still on track time-wise, the price tag is likely to be much higher.

"I think it's gonna be closer to $8 to $10 billion," Bhangu said. "For that price, we can get a bridge built that would be way better for a lot of situations."

He argued that a bridge would outperform a tunnel when it comes to facilitating public transit, noting that "SkyTrain expansion that could have been put along the bridge would have been very key to connecting communities, especially when we're trying to get down to the valley."

Responding to a question from Sitka Media during a press conference on Tuesday, Premier David Eby outlined the new tunnel's public transit potential.

"The tunnel has significant capacity, including dedicated transit lanes and bike access," he said. "This is one of many crossings we're upgrading across the province after years of neglect. We're gonna ensure that it is addressed and we have the same expected start date for the project of 2027."

Eby added that the province is "also putting significant investments into transit," citing dedicated bus lanes on Highway One and the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain expansion, and "working hard with the federal government to find increased transit funding like Quebec saw recently."

Among those calling for more public transit to Delta and beyond is the Mountain Valley Institute. Technical Lead Lee Haber told Sitka Media that rail — not SkyTrain — is the best option for the region, noting that while the latter tops out at 80 km/h, the former can reach speeds of 160 km/h.

"Technically it could still work even if space isn't dedicated for it right now," he said, explaining that tracks could "take over the bus lanes."

Bhangu has joined other politicians, including Delta city councillor and mayoral candidate Dylan Kruger in calling for an independent review of the project.