Article content

It wasn’t all that long ago that a guy named Kevin Falcon was B.C. transportation minister and he was under pressure to do something about those mind-numbing traffic jams around the chronically congested Massey Tunnel.

Falcon’s solution: A two-way rapid bus service, improved traffic-flow technology and a $20-million upgrade to keep the tunnel safe in an earthquake.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Christy Clark's political timetable is driving the 10-lane, $3.5-billion Massey Bridge project Back to video

How long would this plan extend the service life of the Massey Tunnel?

“Easily another 50 years,” Falcon boasted.

That was in 2009. But the government’s 50-year vision for the Massey Tunnel lasted less than three years on the drawing board.

In 2011, Christy Clark became Liberal leader and premier (narrowly beating Falcon for the job) and the Massey Tunnel repair-and-recycle idea was quickly dropped.

In late 2012, Clark announced a much bolder idea: replace the Massey Tunnel outright. Signs notifying traffic-weary commuters about the tunnel replacement project were erected along Highway 99, just in time for the 2013 election campaign.