It's been the bane of commuters for so long it seemed the vast majority had resigned themselves to the notion of perpetual congestion.
The George Massey Tunnel was something drivers grumbled about often, but it appeared most never expected something would actually be done about it, at least not in their commuting lifetime.
Perhaps it's just me, but I get the sense that attitude is changing, that the tunnel is now being viewed as something that should not only be upgraded or replaced, but that improvement should have happened yesterday.
Maybe it's a case of drivers finally reaching their tipping point or it could be the fact there's infrastructure work going on all over the place. When people in these parts see the South Fraser Perimeter Road and new Port Mann Bridge take shape, and plans to replace the Pattullo Bridge get underway, they can't help but think the tunnel deserves attention too.
Mind you, I think the biggest factor in this attitude adjustment is the development possibilities for this region over the next little while. With mega malls and more planned for the Tsawwassen First Nation and a doubling of the container capacity at Roberts Bank on the books, it makes what's proposed for the Southlands pale in comparison. Put it all together, as well as everything else coming up Highway 99, and you've got people asking: "If the tunnel is bad now, what will it be like in five or 10 years?"
Whatever's driving it, griping about the 53-year-old tube isn't the usual stuff anymore, having taken on a more demanding tone, an expectation that change is overdue.
Descriptions like 'disgrace' and 'embarrassment' are being thrown around with much more frequency as drivers bemoan today and fear tomorrow.
It's telling that when Mayor Lois Jackson had time for only one question when Christy Clark was in town earlier this month, she used it to query the premier about the tunnel.
Jackson could have inquired about the port or farmland or dredging or a host of other issues with provincial ties, but she chose to focus on our antiquated river crossing.
That's not to suggest a resolution to this long-simmering situation is near given Victoria hasn't even begun to officially broach the subject, but I get the sense it's at least finding its way onto more radar screens these days.
An upgraded Fraser River crossing for Highway 99 is still many years off, but maybe, just maybe, the tiniest of lights can be seen at the end of the tunnel.
