It has been revealed that the BC NDP rejected a funding deal from the federal government to replace the Massey Tunnel, which has been the sole vehicle crossing between Richmond and Delta since 1959.
The move drew the ire of the BC Conservatives, who argued that the government had failed British Columbians.
"BC's NDP doesn't want to build anything that won't buy them more MLA seats," BC Conservative leader John Rustad wrote in a post on X. "Everyday, hardworking commuters stuck in traffic shouldn’t expect to see a Massey Tunnel replacement from the BC NDP."
His sentiments were shared by Langley-Abbotsford MLA and transportation critic Harman Bhangu.
"The NDP has no real plan to build the Fraser River Tunnel," he lamented. "They've stalled this project for years, and now we find out there's no northbound entrance from River Road and no second exit for Ladner. Worse yet, they rejected federal funding — proving they never intended to build it in the first place."
He declared that "British Columbians deserve real infrastructure, not more NDP smoke and mirrors."
The current three-lane tunnel was initially set to be replaced by a 10-lane bridge complete with SkyTrain capability. After spending upwards of $100 million preparing the site, the BC NDP cancelled the $2.6 billion project in 2017 and went back to the drawing board.
What they came up with was another tunnel that came with a price tag of more than $4 billion. Work is set to begin in 2025, however the province has not yet accepted funding from the federal government.
In a March 11 interview with the Delta Optimist, Delta MP Carla Qualtrough said that while no formal offer has been set forth, Ottawa "did put hundreds of millions of dollars"on the table."
"Significant money was offered prior to the last provincial election and the province chose not to accept that offer at the time," she explained, adding that Eby "hasn't, as of yet, kind of accepted the money the feds are … able to pay, given the economic realities of our time."
