The BC Conservatives are promising a replacement of the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing if elected.
Conservative leader John Rustad included the megaproject among a list of transportation priorities announced on Thursday.
According to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, there are about 40 years of life left on the existing bridge’s structure, however North Vancouver-Seymour Conservative candidate Samarth Chandola said residents feel the crossing is no longer sufficient.
“The number one issue I kept hearing over and over and over again from residents, was something about the traffic has to be done and it starts with the bridge,” he said.
Chandola said they don’t have any specifics how many lanes the new bridge would be, but he is hoping for 10 lanes, plus the capacity for future transit.
“It all starts with a feasibility study, which is the first thing that we will be commissioning on what does make sense given the needs of the community,” he said.
Chandola acknowledged that simply increasing the capacity of the bridge would have impacts on traffic flows up and down the Highway 1 system, including its feeder routes, so he said their plan includes renewing outdated on- and off-ramps throughout the Lower Mainland.
There are no notional projections on what such projects would cost, but Chandola said they would be seeking matching funds from the federal government and they plan to free up finances by eliminating “existing bloat in the bureaucracy.”
North Vancouver-Seymour NDP incumbent Susie Chant said she agrees that traffic and transportation are a North Shore priority, however, she said the study that Conservatives are promising already began during the last term.
“The NDP have been advancing this work for four years,” she said noting that her government first funded the Burrard Inlet Rapid Transit study in 2020 and is already currently looking at the best options for new crossings.
“We know that the bridge will need to be replaced in time. There’s no question about that, but it’s not something that is going to be done in the next three years on the turn of a dime,” she said. “This is a very easy thing to say, ‘Oh yes, we’ll get that done. But it is not something that can be taken lightly or done quickly in a way that doesn’t work for people. We need it to work for people.”
Chandola did acknowledge that some of the work has already begun, but he said there is a greater sense of urgency.
“I will commend them for that. I think they’re looking to solve the problems of a region and I think it’s great that the government finally got started on that, but they have had seven years to actually do something about it,” he said. “We promise to be more efficient than the government currently in power.”
Chant also cast doubt on whether Conservatives will be able make good on delivering highly complex infrastructure while also promising austerity budgets.
“I’m hearing John Rustad promising a lot of big projects, but he’s also saying that he’s going to cut budgets and reduce the deficit. So, I find it difficult to think that he’s going to be able to deliver on that.”
Previously, before he pulled BC United out of the campaign, Kevin Falcon also promised a replacement for the Ironworkers Bridge.
