Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson says outgoing B.C. NDP should halt Massey Tunnel replacement work that he says would limit a potential switch to a bridge.
The Story
Lorne Doerkson, B.C.'s premier-designate, is calling on the outgoing New Democrat provincial government to pause work on a planned replacement for the Massey Tunnel, arguing the current approach would not support switching to a bridge option.
In a statement, Doerkson said he is not asking for all construction to stop, and that “necessary work should continue ‘until cabinet is in a position to finalize the project’s direction.’”
Doerkson previously committed during the campaign to scrapping an $8.5-billion tunnel replacement in favour of a bridge that had been originally announced under the BC Liberals in 2013.
He said his incoming B.C. Conservative government believes a bridge offers the best value for taxpayers and that it intends to conduct a review of the tunnel “and its alternatives.”
Doerkson also argued that no new contracts or procurement decisions should proceed if they would “lock British Columbians into the tunnel option” before the incoming government completes its review, while saying the government would respect additional contracts.
The Massey Tunnel replacement has been a major political issue between the NDP and rival parties for years. Former premier John Horgan cancelled the BC Liberals’ bridge plan after taking office in 2017 and switched to a tunnel replacement in 2021.
Doerkson and the Conservatives won a sweeping majority in the Oct. 24 provincial election, taking about two-thirds of the seats in the legislature.
At the federal level, the government has previously said it would cover a third of the cost of a replacement for the Fraser River crossing, up to a maximum of $3 billion, and Ottawa Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said after the B.C. election that it supports “crossing that river whatever way the premier tells us to.”
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