BC’s Transportation minister has responded to Thursday mornings mayhem on the Port Mann bridge with an emailed statement.
Mary Polak lays the blame for some 40 cars crashing on the icy bridge surface on the weather and the maintenance contractor.
Polak says the contractor has been told to increase de-icing to make sure there is no repeat of the icy mess.
She says the Port Mann itself is not to blame.
Polak says the bridge design is sound and the materials used on the road surface is also not at fault.
She suggests drivers slow down and respect winter driving conditions.
Polak also says she is proud of the Port Mann bridge for making quote “a positive difference in lives everyday.”
Meanwhile the NDP’s Transportation critic says the province is falling short of making sure the new Port Mann bridge is safe for use.
Harry Bains says drivers deserve better than a bridge that seems to have been built without factoring in Metro Vancouver weather conditions.
“Minimum they expect from this government and the bridge operators is a safe bridge and them admitting and apologizing for not doing proper de-icing is not acceptable. I think it is the responsibility of the government and this Minister to make sure that this bridge is safe for all weather conditions.”
Bains says the Liberals were quick to flock to the span for photo op after photo op when it was being built.
“When it was one third built, it was half built, three quarters built, and now time comes for accountability and responsibility they are pointing fingers or running away. I think the taxpayers after spending three point three billion dollars they expect that the bridge is safe under all weather conditions.”
Bains says the Port Mann has faced two winter tests in the last month and it has failed twice.
He says the minister should also be working with the bridge operators to mitigate costs to motorists after the ice caused crashes on the bridge.
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