Transportation Minister Claire Trevena says there are other options on the table

The report found the proposed 10-lane bridge project was 'flawed from the start'

The province has released details from an independent report into the Massey Tunnel replacement

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – An independent review of the George Massey tunnel replacement has found the proposed 10-lane bridge project was “flawed from the start.”

The provincial government has just released details of the report, which found a 10-lane bridge was “the wrong project for the region.”

RELATED: Details from independent report on Massey replacement expected to be released today

Transportation Minister Claire Trevena says there are other options on the table.

“For example, a smaller six or eight-lane bridge would accommodate the majority of traffic predicted by 2045, or, an immersed tube tunnel crossing with up to eight lanes.”

Province will begin consulting cities and First Nations in the new year to decide how to move forward, with a new plan developed by fall 2020. In the mean time, improvements will be made to ease traffic and congestion. @NEWS1130 — Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) December 17, 2018

The province says it will begin consultation with cities and First Nations in the New Year, hoping to have a plan in place by 2020.

“But ultimately, the decision of what is the best solution for the region is not solely up to me, or our government,” Trevena said.

Upgrades to the existing infrastructure will be done while consultations take place to ease traffic and congestion, Trevena said.

“A comprehensive suite of safety improvements will also be added to the existing crossing to address long-standing concerns from local communities and first responders,” read a release from the government.

The B.C. NDP hit pause on work for a 10-lane Massey Bridge in 2017 after rising to power.

Mayor Harvie wants to explore solutions with region’s mayors and First Nations chiefs

In a Monday release, Delta mayor George Harvie says it’s unacceptable to wait until 2020 for a new business case and he plans on meeting with the mayors of Surrey, Richmond and White Rock and First Nations chiefs Wayne Sparrow and Bryce Williams to figure out a way to speed up the process.

“The people south of the Fraser are not prepared to wait 8 to 9 years for an improvement to their quality of life and daily commute,” Harvie writes.

“We need to do everything possible to push the government to implement a solution so that we can reduce this traffic bottleneck well in advance of the current anticipated timeframe.”

Though he says he is “agnostic to the ultimate solution to the Tunnel,” Harvie wants the following from the provincial government fulfilled:

That this project does not take any additional agricultural land from Delta;

That the Provincial government conduct a full environmental assessment on this project;

That this project includes dedicated rapid bus lanes and enhanced transit at the onset with the option for bus lanes to be converted to light rail in the future; and

That the Province implement a robust solution that not only addresses existing congestion, but meets the long-term transportation needs to serve the region for the next 50 plus years.”

RELATED: Is the Massey Tunnel replacement a key issue in Delta’s civic election?

More than 80,000 people use the tunnel every day.

In September of last year, Trevena insisted things weren’t being sent back to square one, despite the NDP scrapping the procurement process for the project.

The province had already spent $66 million on the $3.5 billion project when the government decided to end the procurement process.

‘It’s a bad joke’

But the official opposition is sticking by the 10-lane bridge that was initially approved before the NDP government hit the brakes.

“It’s a bad joke what the NDP announced today,” said BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson. “British Columbians are used to the idea that our population is growing, south of the Fraser there are a lot of people and there are going to be a lot more people, we have to build into the future and what the NDP is doing is saying ‘we’ll put a few light bulbs’ in the tunnel and somehow that’s going to clear arteries.”

Wilkinson insisted there was plenty of consultation before that project was approved.

Meanwhile, BC Liberal MLA Ian Paton, who represents Delta South, said the provincial government needs to think further into the future.

“Let’s build something that will be good for our great-grandchildren 100 years from now and improve the infrastructure of transportation in this community,” he added.

With files from Taran Parmar