Hwy 99 Fraser River Tunnel (George Massey Replacement) | Proposed

[surrey]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Think it's a North American thing. Toronto's Eglinton Line was supposed to be $4.6 billion and done by 2020; now it's 2026, the final price tag is $12.8 billion, and they're still waiting on another segment.

i wasnt referring to the skytrain extensions.. I agree that was mostly out of the control of the NDP. I was talking mostly about this bridge project which was basically approved in 2017. Had construction started then it would be completed years ago and they could have avoided the post covid inflation costs. Instead, 9 years later they are still in the assessment phase with costs escalating every year with inactivity.
The Eglington line was also a complete disaster in mismanagement as well no doubt.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by surrey

i wasnt referring to the skytrain extensions...

I'm also upset at the Dippers for sabotaging the crossing and dragging it out forever, BUT infrastructure in general is often late and/or over-budget across the entire continent and nobody knows exactly why. It's not just transit or one specific government.

[Metro-One]

I've had my popcorn ready for the increases in cost and delayed completion date that I have been predicting for years!

Already enjoying this.

I think the best part is all the mental gymnastics on here trying to rationalize this complete boondoggle.

Even if it went twice over budget and took nearly twice as long to complete than estimated, the bridge would have been open by now costing less then this tunnel with a far more extensive highway upgrade and rapid bus infrastructure.

Just delicious! Crunch Crunch.

[Migrant_Coconut]

For the low, low price of not having two critical SkyTrain extensions instead of a slightly faster way to get to Victoria. Far from ideal, but the Libs needed time in the wilderness (and evidently still do).

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

For the low, low price of not having two critical SkyTrain extensions instead of a slightly faster way to get to Victoria. Far from ideal, but the Libs needed time in the wilderness (and evidently still do).

The NDP did not need to go scorched Earth with the plan in place and start from zero again with a less ambitious and more expensive option.

What they could have done was delay the start of the bridge project a couple years to get the skytrain extensions moving.

From there, they could have used the 100 million dollars worth of pre-construction already in place to continue with the bridge project with perhaps a slightly reduced form (largely just by reducing the bridge from 10 to 8 lanes).

Also, if they went ahead with the bridge with only a relatively minor delay (again, 1 to 3 years) they could have cancelled the Alex Fraser counter lane project.

So in the end, Alex Fraser remains as 6 wide lanes instead of 7 shitty narrow lanes, and the new bridge moved forward (with the interchange, highway, and grade separated rapid bus infrastructure) with 8 lanes and would be opening right about now, if not last year.

Just admit that would have been a far far far better plan than the boondoggle we have on our hands now. A plan that is sure to suck a lot more cash dry from any further rapid transit projects (and other roads projects throughout the province).

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

- snip -

Again, I'm not happy with how the Dippers handled this. The tunnel option is objectively worse in all categories.

The fact remains, however, that the only party that wanted to fast-track the bridge was also the party that stalled it until the election and refused to even consider the SkyTrains until they were about to lose. All major players in Victoria would seem to prefer arguing about a replacement for the GMT over actually replacing it... so it seems a little ridiculous to be putting everything on the party that's starting to build them, and not the party that could've done something and bragged about it but instead sat on their asses.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Again, I'm not happy with how the Dippers handled this. The tunnel option is objectively worse in all categories.

The fact remains, however, that the only party that wanted to fast-track the bridge was also the party that stalled it until the election and refused to even consider the SkyTrains until they were about to lose. All major players in Victoria would seem to prefer arguing about a replacement for the GMT over actually replacing it... so it seems a little ridiculous to be putting everything on the party that's starting to build them, and not the party that could've done something and bragged about it but instead sat on their asses.

Oh trust me, the fact that they dangled it as an election promise and didn’t award the contract before the election (therefore making it much more difficult to cancel) pisses me off beyond belief.

So yes, I do agree they share that portion of the blame for this quagmire.

But, as you seem to agree, that doesn’t let the NDP off the hook for choosing the worst path afterwards on this project.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Not disagreeing, just pointing out that everybody has egg on their face on this one; the Cons' proposal to hit the stop button yet again and restart the bridg- sorry, the "Sir John A. Macdonald Gateway" is just as laughable.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Not disagreeing, just pointing out that everybody has egg on their face on this one; the Cons' proposal to hit the stop button yet again and restart the bridg- sorry, the "Sir John A. Macdonald Gateway" is just as laughable.

So we can agree… to agree!

Yeah, I laughed at the naming “Sir John A. MacDonald” That was a clear virtue signal, which I hate coming from any direction.

Unlike the Pattullo, this crossing should remain named “George Massey” since this entire corridor / tunnel crossing was his idea and pet project. He is directly linked to its existence. So removing his name (for either a Native name or John A. McDonald) is a no go for me.

[Lexus]

• Video Link

• Video Link

Untitled by Lexus LX 700, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX 700, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX 700, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX 700, on Flickr

[WarrenC12]

Thanks, awesome drone shots. This will be great to watch the tunnel come together from that angle.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Lexus

[IMG]interchnage by bcborn, on Flickr[/IMG]

So, I've been through here a couple times since completion and I really have to wonder about the genius who thought an at-grade crosswalk on a highway on-ramp was a good idea (circled it in your photo).

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by whatnext

So, I've been through here a couple times since completion and I really have to wonder about the genius who thought an at-grade crosswalk on a highway on-ramp was a good idea (circled it in your photo).

Where does it even go?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Where does it even go?

Over the bus stop by Country Farms on the east side, Surprisingly busy when I went by too.

[Lexus]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Over the bus stop by Country Farms on the east side, Surprisingly busy when I went by too.

If this isn’t a great option, what the alternative would be?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Lexus

If this isn’t a great option, what the alternative would be?

Pedestrian underpass.

Where it is now cars on a highway with two lanes in each direction come down a fairly steep overpass, have to watch for cars trying to cut in from the left land while watching for people on the crosswalk.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by whatnext

So, I've been through here a couple times since completion and I really have to wonder about the genius who thought an at-grade crosswalk on a highway on-ramp was a good idea (circled it in your photo).

Standard practice and actually executed with better sight lines than elsewhere in the region.

Originally Posted by whatnext

Pedestrian underpass.

Where it is now cars on a highway with two lanes in each direction come down a fairly steep overpass, have to watch for cars trying to cut in from the left land while watching for people on the crosswalk.

A highway in name only, it's an arterial road with a 50km/h speed limit.
Don't know what you're on about for the rest of the post, all the non-signalized cross walks in the interchange are across a single lane divided from all other traffic.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by madog222

Standard practice and actually executed with better sight lines than elsewhere in the region.



A highway in name only, it's an arterial road with a 50km/h speed limit.
Don't know what you're on about for the rest of the post, all the non-signalized cross walks in the interchange are across a single lane divided from all other traffic.

LOL, if you think traffic drives 50 km/h on Steveston Highway.

It doesn't surprise me that such a bad design would be "standard practice" in BC, land of underbuilt infrastructure.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by whatnext

It doesn't surprise me that such a bad design would be "standard practice" in BC, land of underbuilt infrastructure.

Thank you !! Someone says out loud what few, if any, other people will say. The roads are underbuilt and nightmarishly fast and dangerous (like Knight Street, //or the negligence about the underused Granville Cut, and so forth. I don't know who is responsible for traffic engineering and design in the city> probably) the same jerks who allow the ugly utility poles along Thurlow, with a special pole for Prada
... but that's another story)

[Vantage]

Do some travelling (even just in Canada) and you will notice how cheap and underbuilt road infrastructure is in this province.