stal̕əw̓asəm (Riverview) Bridge (Pattullo Bridge Replacement) | U/C

[cornholio]

I agree with everyone else here that this is a ploy to put pressure on the Province and Feds to step in.The timeline places the expenditures (and the 🞵🞵🞵🞵 storm it would generate) just before the next Federal election and at the start of the run up to the Provincial election, the timing is logical and can't be more effective imo. This also coincidentally came right after the Massey tunnel announcement by the Province, which can be coincidence but I doubt it. The Province will eventually use the safety word in regards to the Massey tunnel to sell the project because the tunnel will collapse in a earthquake, and how can you argue against that? Once they do translink only needs to point out Pattullo and the Province will need to step in otherwise they would risk being hypocrites.

As a side benefit it can shift some liability off of translink. When people continue to get killed on that thing eventually it will reach a point when a family of some one will be able to make a case that they can push all the way to the supreme court, and win. Of course this also applies in the event the bridge collapses in a earthquake or for some other reason. If the bridge is in that bad of a shape, and it can be replaced, which it can, but due to incompetence the decision is dragged on for decades then eventually you cross a line when it becomes negligent and someone ends up civilly or even criminally responsible.

What people have to forget is that unlike a bridge that has reached its capacity, this bridge is a actual death trap. The bridge is unsafe for its users, the bridge will fall in a earthquake, the bridge is falling apart which can result in any number of bad incidents. The point is that translink is doing all they can, this makes for a decent defense and shifts some if not most of the blame on to the Province/Feds.