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BC NDP take heat over blacked-out business case for new Massey Tunnel


B.C.’s NDP authorities is dealing with new criticism over its plans to interchange the ageing George Massey Tunnel, after cancelling a deliberate bridge accepted by the earlier BC Liberal authorities.

The Ministry of Transportation released its business case for a brand new eight-lane immersed tube tunnel this week, however a lot of the doc — together with key segments summarizing a threat evaluation and worth for cash calculations — have been redacted.

Learn extra:
Eight-lane immersed-tube tunnel set to replace aging Massey Tunnel

“We at all times stated the bridge was an ideal reply and the bridge could be opening actually a 12 months from now if we’d saved the bridge undertaking going,” South Delta BC Liberal MLA stated, describing the tunnel as a “boondoggle.”

“The general public in British Columbia must know the place we’re going with this, we have to know what the figures are and what taxpayers are going to be paying for this.”

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Transportation Minister Rob Fleming defended the redacted enterprise case Thursday, noting the BC Liberals by no means launched the enterprise case for their very own undertaking and arguing that segments wanted to be blacked out for authorized causes.

Learn extra:
Report suggests B.C. government go back to drawing board for Massey Tunnel replacement

“That’s commonplace for any undertaking that has commercially delicate information earlier than exit to the tearing course of,” he stated. “What we do on the finish of the undertaking is we launch the entire numbers which were redacted.”

The NDP launched their plans for the brand new eight-lane tunnel in August, practically 4 years after it scrapped the initially deliberate bridge.

The crossing is projected to value $4.15 billion and be in operation by 2030.

The NDP says the crossing shall be $70 million cheaper than the 10-lane bridge the BC Liberals had deliberate, however that doesn’t rely the $100 million already spent on pre-construction prices for the now defunct undertaking.

It additionally doesn’t embody the price of a brand new environmental evaluation for the tunnel.

Paton argued the bridge, which might have had all of its pedestals on land, would have had a lighter environmental footprint.

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Click to play video: 'NDP government unveils plans to replace aging Massey tunnel'







NDP authorities unveils plans to interchange ageing Massey tunnel


NDP authorities unveils plans to interchange ageing Massey tunnel – Aug 18, 2021

“A tunnel within the Fraser River, perhaps individuals did that in 1959 when no person cared about the way forward for salmon or sturgeon, however you actually don’t do this for enviro causes in 2021 or 2030 after they’re speaking about finishing this tunnel,” he stated.

However whereas the bridge undertaking was common in Delta, it was opposed by neighbouring Richmond, which feared added congestion, and rejected by the Metro Vancouver Board which wished fewer lanes and extra transit precedence.

“The fact is that it didn’t have regional help,” Fleming stated Thursday.

“It was additionally going to be paid for by dinging motorists for tolls each day.”

The enterprise case tasks that work on an interchange on the Steveston Freeway might start as early as subsequent 12 months, however that shovels wouldn’t hit the bottom for the precise new crossing till 2026.




© 2021 International Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.





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