New Westminster is doling out about $175,000 to install a temporary Bailey Bridge in the Braid industrial area after rejecting the province’s demands.
The city had been in talks with the ministry of transportation and infrastructure about borrowing one of its bridges so it could reopen the crossing.
“The city had been working with the province and thought we had an arrangement where we were going to be able to use the provincial bridge,” said Coun. Jonathan Cote. “It was a shock to the city that all of a sudden new conditions were placed on that bridge.”
In anticipation of the bridge’s arrival, the city spent more than $30,000 in materials and equipment.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone informed the city on May 8 that the ministry would provide a single-lane replacement bridge at no cost to the city, provided that New Westminster agree to a second temporary single-lane bridge being installed at the site. The city responded by asking the ministry to provide a single, temporary bridge immediately so it could reopen access at the location and to postpone a decision on an additional bridge until an arbitrator renders a decision, but never heard back from the province.
The ministry confirmed Stone had received the letter from city, but said the minister’s original offer still stands. In an email to The Record, the ministry stated that its offer is still available and conditional on New Westminster agreeing to install a second temporary single-lane bridge to allow for “critical” two-way traffic flow.
Jim Lowrie, the city’s director of engineering, said the city has sourced another temporary bridge and has taken steps to have it prepared and ready for installation. It’s expected that the bridge, which is coming from Ontario, will be open in two to three weeks.
Lowrie estimates the temporary crossing will cost about $175,000, which includes costs incurred to date.
Although the city is spending $175,000 on a temporary crossing, Cote said it could be in place for a long time.
“It depends on the decision of the arbitrator. If the decision is to maintain a one-lane crossing, the structure we are putting in place could be in place for 20 or 25 years. It may not be that temporary,” he said. “Even if the decision is to go ahead with a two-lane crossing, it might just be to twin the existing structure, so you may still have that temporary bridge in there for 25 years, and another structure placed right beside it. In of itself, although it’s not meant to be the final, permanent solution the bridge we are bringing out could very well be there for 20 or 25 years.”
Cote believes the province’s conditions may have been part of a strategy to derail the arbitration process and would have undermined the city’s position in the arbitration process. He said a second crossing would introduce more traffic into an already congested area.
“Taking the province’s offer really would have compromised the city’s position in the binding arbitration process and could have affected that. Ultimately, the city wants the best transportation solution for that crossing in that area, and we didn’t want that to be influenced.”
The Bailey Bridge has been a longstanding conflict between New Westminster and Coquitlam, with local officials preferring a one-lane crossing and Coquitlam wanting a crossing with at least two lanes. An arbitrator is expected to determine whether the area should be served by a single- or two-lane permanent bridge by July 1.
Stone told The Record last month that his proposal is a “tremendously good deal” for the people of New Westminster as the province is putting $2 million in value on the table for two temporary bridges. He said the arbitration process would continue and determine whether the long-term solution is to be one lane or two lanes.
“New West doesn’t have to accept our offer here. If they don’t then they can proceed accordingly with an alternative solution, which would be the acquisition of a Bailey Bridge from some other source, at a cost to the taxpayer, and they can explain to their taxpayers why they are saying no to $2 million worth of infrastructure, albeit from a temporary perspective while the arbitration continues,” he told The Record.
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said New Westminster isn’t the one that has to explain to taxpayers why it’s spending $175,000 on a temporary bridge when the province has one available in the Lower Mainland.
“I think Todd Stone is the one who needs to do some soul searching here. He is going to have a completely free bridge available for us to use to open up that corridor again, make it safe and then for absolutely no reason whatsoever is holding it back from us,” he said. “It is Todd Stone that is imposing this on the taxpayers of New Westminster, not New Westminster.”
