But provincial transportation minister insists bridge project will definitely proceed ‘because it is critical’
William Boei
Sun
LOWER MAINLAND – Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon rejected a regional district report Thursday that offers qualified support for the $3-billion Gateway Program but says the twinning of the Port Mann Bridge clashes with long-term regional growth plans.
The report, written by Greater Vancouver Regional District chief planner Hugh Kellas, recommends the GVRD support the program if the province drops its plan to twin the bridge and agrees to several other conditions.
Falcon said “No,” when asked if there was any chance the province will agree to leave out or change any major components of the Gateway Program.
Asked if that means the province will definitely go ahead with the twinning of the Port Mann, he said, “Absolutely. There is no question about it, because that is a critical part.”
The government is in the first phase of public consultations about the Gateway Program but has been talking to municipal and regional officials about it for two years, and Falcon said in a telephone interview that the region can’t pick and choose among the parts now.
“If we just built the South Fraser Perimeter Road without the twinned Port Mann Bridge, then what we would do is create a traffic calamity on the Pattullo and the Alex Fraser,” he said.
“If you try to pull out that portion of it, you create significant challenges for the other portions. And we’re not going to do that.
“This is why you have a provincial government, to kind of look at the broader picture to make sure that we make a decision in the broadest interest.”
Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, who chairs the GVRD’s land use and transportation committee, said Falcon’s comments were disappointing.
“It’s obvious to me that consultation has never been Kevin Falcon’s strong suit,” said Corrigan, whose committee will be presented with the Kellas report on Friday.
But he predicted the regional district will stay the course.
“Of course we will,” he said. “I think the GVRD will be more inclined to dig in its heels if Kevin Falcon isn’t willing to listen to any of the comments we might have about whether or not the Port Mann Bridge twinning fits within our plans, or how it might be made to fit within our plans.”
Asked what recourse the GVRD has, Corrigan, said, “Public opinion. I’m expecting that there will be significant public pressure on the government to re-look at its plans once all of the information is out.”
The Kellas report says the GVRD can support the overall goals of the Gateway Program, such as improved movement of goods and people, better connections to transit and reduced vehicle emissions.
The program includes the twinning of the bridge, widening the Trans-Canada Highway from Langley to Vancouver, building a new four-lane highway on the south shore of the Fraser River and upgrading a truck route on existing roads on the north shore of the river, including a new Pitt River bridge.
Kellas says the Port Mann twinning, widening the Trans-Canada west of the Port Mann and the new Pitt River bridge clash with regional plans. Those plans call for transportation demand management to be used to create space for goods movement before road capacity is expanded.
© The Vancouver Sun 2006