A year ago, the Surrey Board of Trade opposed the Metro Vancouver Mayor’s Council recommendation to the BC Government to replace the Massey Tunnel with another tunnel. The decision now lies with the BC Government, and the Surrey Board of Trade wants immediate action on this important economic infrastructure project to reduce transportation bottlenecks.
“Now that we see some light at the end of the tunnel with the pandemic, and continued population growth in Surrey and the South Fraser Economic Region, no action on the George Massey replacement is not an option. Inaction will continue to lead to reduced economic activity, higher prices, and various other negative social implications,” said Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade.
The Massey Tunnel is a dangerous piece of infrastructure. The risk posed to the region should an earthquake event occur is tremendous.
Originally, the Surrey Board of Trade advocated for a new Massey bridge with 10 lanes. However, the Surrey Board of Trade would also support a new 8-lane bridge with a multi-use pathway.
“We know that when a decision is made by the BC Government it will take years for an environmental review and then eventually construction. To ensure we are preparing for economic recovery in the future – and we are already severely delayed – the BC Government needs to expedite the George Massey Tunnel replacement project to be included in the province’s budget and capital plan and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Service Plan starting in 2021.”
“The millions that are now being spent on safety improvements for the George Massey Tunnel could be better spent on starting to build the bridge. A bridge could be built faster — two years for environmental assessment and five for construction. Much of the work to build a bridge has already been done.
“We must plan for transportation needs for the future – for the 1.3 million people that are expected to move into Metro Vancouver by 2050. And yes, we can’t just build this in isolation, it has to have a robust rapid transit system.”
-30-
Anita Huberman, 604-634-0342, anita@businessinsurrey.com
