The Surrey Board of Trade again sent a letter to Rob Fleming, BC’s Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure, to determine what it will take to have the new Pattullo Bridge open with six lanes given continued population growth and traffic congestion issues.
“The Ministry has indicated that the bridge will not open with six lanes and that four lanes will suffice for the time being,” said Anita Huberman, President & CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade. “We need to know at what point in time or what event will trigger the widening of the bridge to six lanes. The environmental impact of congestion could be reduced with the opening of 6 lanes. Replacing a 4-lane bridge with another 4-lane bridge in the face of continued population growth and limited transit options is not productive to ensure we have a resilient economy.”
“Will it be when the Lower Mainland’s population increases to a certain figure, or when other key transportation routes such as the Alex Fraser Bridge or Port Mann Bridge are backed up with significant congestion? Our organization, our business members, and Surrey residents know that we need the six lanes now.”
“By 2050, an additional 1.3 million people are expected to move into the Metro Vancouver region. We must build transportation infrastructure for future population growth.”
The Surrey Board of Trade asks the Provincial Government to create a policy that outlines what indicators will prompt the new Pattullo Bridge to be expanded to six lanes.
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Anita Huberman, 604-634-0342, anita@businessinsurrey.com
