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VICTORIA — B.C.’s NDP government has cancelled construction of a bridge to replace the Massey tunnel, putting an end to former premier Christy Clark’s signature solution to traffic congestion at a key Metro choke point.

Transportation Minister Claire Trevena announced Wednesday her government had scrapped the process to design, build and finance a 10-lane $3.5-billion bridge between Richmond and Delta. The province will pay out the companies shortlisted to bid on the work and remove the bridge’s cost from provincial budget, said Trevena.

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Instead, the NDP will start an “independent technical review” to research the best solution for the aging George Massey tunnel, which experts have said is not safe and could collapse during an earthquake. That work should be complete in the spring, said Trevena, though the review director and terms of reference have yet to be decided.

Whatever happens will be “a new process” with more consultation and research to get buy-in from the community and Metro mayors, said Trevena. In the meantime, significant traffic gridlock around the tunnel is likely to continue in both directions for years.