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| The Port Mann Bridge across the Fraser River may soon have a "twin" as part of the provincial government's plans to solve the problem of traffic congestion in the Lower Mainland. Rick Blacklaws photo |
Early in 2006, the provincial government announced an ambitious construction program aimed at enhancing the flow of motor vehicle traffic into and out of the Lower Mainland. Dubbed the Gateway Program, and given a preliminary price tag of $3 billion, the plan combines three main elements to address the challenges presented by the ever-increasing number of cars and trucks using Highway 1 between Vancouver and the burgeoning communities of the Lower Fraser Valley.
According to government figures, the population of the Greater Vancouver region will grow to more than three million people over the next twenty-five years, an increase of almost fifty per cent. Along with more people comes more cars. Approximately 20,000 more vehicles crowd the region's roads each year. As a result, it now takes a commuter 30 per cent longer to get to work by car than it did ten years ago. At the same time, container traffic in and out of the Port of Vancouver is increasing rapidly, but not the road capacity that keeps the trucks moving.
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The most notorious bottleneck is the Port Mann Bridge that carries Highway 1 across the Fraser River east of New Westminster. Opened in 1964, the bridge is routinely choked with traffic at the rush hours. The first element of the Gateway Program is the planned construction of a second bridge alongside the original, thus doubling its capacity. The new twin bridge would be paid for partially by tolls. Along with the twin bridge, the program proposes improvements to Highway 1 between Vancouver and Langley, including high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.
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The second element of the plan is the South Fraser Perimeter Road, a new, high-speed route built along the south shore of the Fraser River from Delta east to Langley where it would connect with Highway 1. The main purpose of this route would be to provide improved truck access to the freight terminals and service industries along this stretch of the river.
The third element of the Gateway Program involves improvements to existing roads to create a new North Fraser Perimeter Road, a continuous route from New Westminster to Maple Ridge, including a new bridge across the Pitt River.
While the government has announced its intention to move ahead with the Gateway Program over the next few years, months of public consultation lie ahead and the plan is controversial. Opposition comes from people who argue that it is a mistake to favour automobiles over public transit. They believe that once built, the roads and bridges will fill almost immediately with more vehicles and the problems will have become worse, not better. The way to break this cycle, it is argued, is to reduce the amount of traffic instead of increasing the amount of roads. According to this scenario, improved public transit would provide alternatives that would allow people to leave their cars at home. Some local politicians also have reservations about the plan, fearing that it will direct more traffic in the direction of their communities, increasing air pollution, noise and congestion. They also worry that it will eat up government funds that otherwise might be used for public transit in their communities.
To learn more about the government's Gateway Program, visit the project's website, www.gatewayprogram.bc.ca. One of the groups opposed to the plan is the Citizens Concerned with Highway Expansion. Its website is www.cche.vcn.bc.ca.