The plan for the new tunnel is as big a mess as the traffic trying to get through it.
Anyone who’s travelled north in the past three weeks has been subjected to incredible delay and confusion. The new pylon system has created a serious headache for people. It seems looking at pylons is like a deer in the headlights – what do I do? It only takes one car hitting the brakes to hold up a km worth of traffic.
Notice how the first day was the Monday after the time change? What’s the thought process there? Let’s confuse people when they are adjusting to the loss of an hour. Perhaps to encourage permanent daylight time?
I thought the best move to make things even worse was to close a lane on the Steveston exit that morning backing traffic up on the highway. Thank goodness I took the left lane that day. I may still be stuck there if I hadn’t.
Add in that I haven’t seen anyone patrolling the high occupancy lane for months. I guess with so many EVs it’s hard to determine when a single rider is allowed, so why try any longer?
Let’s face it, the tunnel is a gong show. The fact that we still don’t have a plan is ridiculous. If we think that it’s bad now, just wait until they start building the new one.
What I find most ironic is it may not be called the George Massey Tunnel. I believe the public wanted a tunnel instead of a bridge for the tradition, and now the existing name may not be used.
After all, with South Delta and South Surrey planning such big growth, shouldn’t we find ways to alleviate the additional traffic?
I still believe we should abandon this version, build a third crossing through Tilbury, across to Richmond and carry onto Vancouver at the foot of Boundary Road.
The ‘new’ tunnel will have three lanes – but don’t we have three lanes now at rush hour?
Doesn’t seem like much of an upgrade, for all the traffic that’s coming.
Editor’s note: Brad Sherwin is a long-time resident of South Delta and has been writing this column since 2011.
