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

[makr3trkr]

http://www.news1130.com/2014/03/24/roadways-pinpointed-as-vulnerable-during-an-earthquake/

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – How vulnerable is Metro Vancouver in the event of a major earthquake? The province’s Auditor General is set to release his Catastrophic Earthquake Preparedness Tuesday afternoon.

Dr. John Clague, an earth sciences professor at SFU, says some of the region’s roadways have been identified as most vulnerable.

“There a couple of real weak points, both of which have been recognized. One would be the Deas Island tunnel, beneath the Fraser River. That certainly needs attention. It would not withstand shaking from a large earthquake. The second is the Pattullo Bridge which is an ancient bridge. Those are two key elements of the transformational infrastructure that need attention.”

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by makr3trkr

http://www.news1130.com/2014/03/24/roadways-pinpointed-as-vulnerable-during-an-earthquake/“There a couple of real weak points, both of which have been recognized. One would be the Deas Island tunnel, beneath the Fraser River. That certainly needs attention. It would not withstand shaking from a large earthquake. The second is the Pattullo Bridge which is an ancient bridge. Those are two key elements of the transformational infrastructure that need attention.”

The good news is that there are plenty of alternatives for disaster response if those crossings go down. I'd be a little more worried if both the Lion's Gate and 2nd Narrows were identified as being at risk (and they're both old designs, so...?)

[libtard]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

Ya we really don't have too much to complain about traffic-wise when compared with Seattle. North-South traffic there is an absolute mess.

He was commenting on the traffic on southbound 99.. IN BC

I've hit gridlock many times in downtown Seattle. The counter flow lanes make a huge difference but even if they're not moving in your favor its still smoother sailing then getting north-south of Downtown Vancouver. Once you're through downtown getting from Seattle-Tacoma or Seattle-Everett is usually a breeze

[wrenegade]

Totally missed that. My bad.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

i noticed there is a new sign the other day on the Sea Island Way HWY99 entrance/on ramp. it says 100% that "construction starts in 2017."

does anyone think this is a lie? that seems kind of quick and optimistic to me. though i cant wait for a new connection. if there is an accident. good thing you can take 91 connector, oh wait there is a stupid light going one way and your stuck waiting there to. gahhhhhh. anways, rant over and yay for a new connection.

[GMasterAres]

Realistic. They don't say beginning or end of 2017 and they started plans actually start of 2013 for the replacement. That's about 5 years from start of planning to construction start or more or less how long the process took for the Gateway Project incl. new Port Mann.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

The good news is that there are plenty of alternatives for disaster response if those crossings go down. I'd be a little more worried if both the Lion's Gate and 2nd Narrows were identified as being at risk (and they're both old designs, so...?)

Bad news for anyone on the bridge driving across when it collapses and they fall to their deaths into the Fraser. For alternatives we do have alternatives but in many major disasters people try to flee the area and the alternatives will be a parking lot making it quite difficult for emergency services to move over the river.

You get 1 accident now on the Alex Fraser Bridge and almost all other routes are bumper to bumper. Imagine 1 million people trying to get out of the city with a destroyed Tunnel and Patullo bridge. Hopefully it doesn't happen in our lifetime but if it does, I will be grateful to live South of Fraser and not need to gross any major rivers. Then again I work in a flood plain so will most likely be swimming in the event of a major Earthquake.

:/

[Zassk]

Alex Fraser is a designated disaster response route. A lot of people misunderstand what that means. A disaster response route will not be open to the public after a disaster. It will be reserved for emergency responders only. So if Massey and Patullo are likely to fail, then there will be no route available across the river for the general public, anywhere west of the Port Mann bridge, after a disaster.

Anyway, here's another tidbit that might not have been posted on this thread. There is a project office with a lit storefront sign saying "Massey Tunnel Replacement Project Office" at Ironwood Plaza, which apparently opened up a few months ago. So perhaps you can just drop in there and get your questions answered.

[moosejaw]

Where would someone go in the event of a diaster?
Chilliwack?

We have evacuation routes in south florida all of the time in case of hurricanes
And the only way to go is North
Its always a parking lot in case of evacuation. Its just better to ride out the storm. In case of a Tsunami i would assume to get to higher ground.

[Genauso]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

i noticed there is a new sign the other day on the Sea Island Way HWY99 entrance/on ramp. it says 100% that "construction starts in 2017."

Oh BC. You know where you are when you learn the date of the next election through marketing done by the allegedly apolitical TransLink. It's amazing how the need of basic infrastructure stutters.

I propose annual elections to get BC moving!

[Zassk]

If the Broadway corridor would only vote Liberal for once, perhaps they will get some nice shiny 2021 signs posted about their SkyTrain line, too....

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Genauso

Oh BC. You know where you are when you learn the date of the next election through marketing done by the allegedly apolitical TransLink. It's amazing how the need of basic infrastructure stutters.

I propose annual elections to get BC moving!

Huh?

You know the Massey tunnel has nothing to do with Translink right?

[Genauso]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Huh?

You know the Massey tunnel has nothing to do with Translink right?

You are wrong. Since its creation TransLink is responsible for bridges, tunnels, and transit within Metro Vancouver. It will handle funding, construction, and operation of the new crossing just as it runs the George Massey Tunnel today.

It's a common but incorrect assumption that TransLink is only transit.

edit: Ministry of Transit probably is the one running counterflow lanes, tow trucks, line painting, etc... So I struckout operation which was never the point here.

[moosejaw]

Originally Posted by Genauso

You are wrong. Since its creation TransLink is responsible for bridges, tunnels, and transit within Metro Vancouver. It will handle funding, construction, and operation of the new crossing just as it runs the George Massey Tunnel today.

Whose wrong?
Acc to wikipedia....The tunnel was constructed for the British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridge Authority, and is now administered by the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation.

So again who is wrong?
Maybe someone was having fun with Wikipedia? Perhaps maybe

[Genauso]

Originally Posted by Genauso

You are wrong. Since its creation TransLink is responsible for bridges, tunnels, and transit within Metro Vancouver...

Sorry everyone, I was wrong and learned something. TransLink owns and operates the "Major Road Network" minus provincial/federal highway bits according to http://www.translink.ca/~/media/Document...ridges/Major%20Road%20Network%20Map.ashx (includes Golden Ears bridge, Patullo bridge, Knight St bridge, ...)

All the articles about the George Massey Tunnel I saw had references to TransLink's traffic counts, and the province is always involved in their major projects so the lines are blurry. I made a clear mistake though. Sorry.

The next provincial election is scheduled for 2017 though, and that was the point.
Ministry of Transportation should ideally be operating on their own schedule and spending their budget in ways that benefits transportation for BC. (I am for this project, I'm just disgusted with how and when big agenda items move forward. We should be able to focus political attention on real questions)

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by Genauso

You are wrong. Since its creation TransLink is responsible for bridges, tunnels, and transit within Metro Vancouver. It will handle funding, construction, and operation of the new crossing just as it runs the George Massey Tunnel today.

It's a common but incorrect assumption that TransLink is only transit.

edit: Ministry of Transit probably is the one running counterflow lanes, tow trucks, line painting, etc... So I struckout operation which was never the point here.

I frequently take buses along Hwy 99 and there is a fascinating small sign on Steveston Highway just before the interchange that marks the transition from City of Richmond jurisdiction to Ministry of Transportation (MOT).

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by moosejaw

Where would someone go in the event of a diaster?
Chilliwack?

We have evacuation routes in south florida all of the time in case of hurricanes
And the only way to go is North
Its always a parking lot in case of evacuation. Its just better to ride out the storm. In case of a Tsunami i would assume to get to higher ground.

I guess luckily or unluckily, nowhere really in an Earthquake. The only reason I would want to leave the city is to get my family to a source of uncontaminated water and away from rioting. That's really it. That would require a very massive Earthquake though on the scale of a 9 or more.

[Tetsuo]

I'm curious how earthquake proof the secondary bridges are (Knight, Oak, Arthur Liang, Queensboro)

[Zassk]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

I frequently take buses along Hwy 99 and there is a fascinating small sign on Steveston Highway just before the interchange that marks the transition from City of Richmond jurisdiction to Ministry of Transportation (MOT).

These boundary signs are at every interchange and every highway terminus nowadays, at least on the southern freeways in the region. Paving projects typically start and end at these signs.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by Zassk

These boundary signs are at every interchange and every highway terminus nowadays, at least on the southern freeways in the region. Paving projects typically start and end at these signs.

Neat. Thanks for the info. I can confirm that he paving changes quite dramatically once you cross that line. The MOT surface is ancient and likely not to be repaired in light of the commitment to rebuild the interchange as part of the George Massey Tunnel replacement.