The City of Delta has submitted a pre-budget consultation briefing to the Federal Standing Committee on Finance, advocating for funding to support the construction of an overpass connecting River Road as part of the Fraser River Tunnel Replacement Project.
It’s part of the city’s efforts to secure federal funds through pre-budget consultations for the 2025 federal budget.
The briefing emphasizes the importance of integrating the overpass into the tunnel replacement project, providing a crucial second exit from Ladner along the Highway 99 corridor, the city notes, adding discussions with the province have indicated that federal financial assistance is required to move forward on the construction of an overpass.
According to the city’s submission, the preliminary cost for the overpass project is estimated to be a small percentage of the $4.15 billion budget for the tunnel replacement project.
During council’s discussion on the submission at their July 22 meeting, frustration was expressed that without a federal commitment of dollars for the crossing project, a second exit out of Ladner won’t be a possibility.
Mayor George Harvie said they need to continue to put pressure on the province and the feds.
“We’ve been promised this, but promises don’t seem to be kept very well by the federal government at this time,” he said.
Harvie added what he’s heard from the development community is that the tunnel is an impediment to attracting more developers to do projects in Delta.
Saying Delta could have had a new bridge crossing with a second exit by now, Coun. Dylan Kruger said the federal government should be involved because the crossing is a national trade corridor with national significance.
Representatives with Transportation Investment Corp. (TI Corp.) made it clear to council during updates on the Fraser River Tunnel Project earlier this year that the province is proceeding with the environmental assessment and procurement process for the project as-is, unless the government indicates it has received enough funding from the federal government to make the addition.
Last December, Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, said the B.C. government sympathizes with Delta’s request for a second exit out of Ladner, but it will be up to whatever funding arrives from the feds.
The new tunnel is to be completed in 2030.