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‘Transportation and Highways Ministry considers tunnel proposals for Burrard Inlet c crossing

“THISIS the fifth in a series of

- North Shore News articles focusing

on the’ many options now being

‘ considered in the search to solve

the problem of what to do with the
* aging Lions Gate Bridge.

everal tunnel proposals

are vying for Ministry of

’ ‘Transportation and

“Highways (MoTH) attention

"as the ministry and consulting

" groups search for a better way

‘to move traffic between the
North Shore and Vancouver.

Be Kevin Gillies |
Contributing, Writer’. ‘

-A-tunnel would have less oF an
impact on the cityscape than a
bridge. would, but it would remove
from commuters any views of
Vancouver's harbor and scenery.

- Because of insufficient ventila-

:. lion, tunnels-do not. accommodate
pedestrians or.
Consequently, all tunnel proposals

include plans:to refurbish Lions ;

Gate Bridge for use by cyclists and
pedestrians.

“Light Rapid Transit (LRT) to ©

downtown through a‘tunnel would’
provide a fast and efficient transit
option: But questions about the
‘vironmental impact of tunnels,

their cost and: ability to withstand -

seismic activity, remain.

* How. a. bridge, or-tunnel option
fits" into: existing, ‘traffic: patterns is:
also a miijor consideration.+

Factors ‘to:be: addressed include

land ‘acquisition’ ireeds, impact on
residential neighborhoods, the
Squamish Nation (Indian Reserve
Ni and upgrades to local roads
ccommodate tunnel traffic.

Two ‘basic: types of tunnels are ¢

pact, ten, would operations ‘hee

uld a ‘bored, plunnel, te

une props to, MoTH, starting al the.

ions Gate. (traffic) corridor and

“according to the name, of the firm

making: the proposal, or, in the case,

fa generic idea, according t to its
eographic location.

All'six proposals: would require
ubstantial commercial and residen-
ial‘ property ‘acquisitions'on the
hores of Burrard Inlet.

1) Klohn- -Crippen Option ‘A’

cyclists. ”

Taylor Way

Marine Drive ]

First Narrows
Tunnels

Cost: Including bridge renova-—
tions, $300 million

_. This bored tunnel would be doti-
sble-decked, with each deck taking

, traffic in different directions.

: It begins at the Upper Levels
‘Highway: ‘halfway — between

Capilano Road and Taylor Way. {ts °

“approach runs due south, crossing

Marine Drive just west of Capilano -

Road. The tunnel emerges at the
western end of Georgia Street at
Lost Lagoon. Its maximum grade
would be 6%. The existing bridge
“could” be retained for two transit

» Lindsay Ross~
North Vancouver

No, only the location.

___-Length:. 4.500 “metres (2.8 |
niles). + :

Marine Drive

Welch Street

Pemberton Avenue

Low Level Road

BC Rail

First Narrows
‘Zoo’ tunnet™
{Sandwell}

Harbour Link
Tunnel
(Griblin)

“Tanies, cycl ts‘and pedestrians. _
’ 2) Klohn-Crippen Option ‘B’
Cost:

Length:
miles);

- Option 'B, bored but not as deep
as Option A, would also empty onto
Georgia Street. and connect with
the North Shore's Low Level Road

system, Northbound traffic would

exit at Welch and McGuire at the
southern point of Capilano Road.
Traffic could exit cast or westbound
on Low Level: Road or Marine
Drive or north on Capilano Road to
access the ‘Upper Levels. The tun-

_ Should municipalities have more
powers to limit adult video stores?

Marnie Robinsen
North Vancouver |
‘Tsay yes, they should,

approximately $300 mil- °
‘lion, oy ;
3,000 metres (1.9.

Harbour Tunnet
_ with Funding
(P.N. Woodward
Assoc. Inc.)

Burnaby Shoat
Tunnel -
{Hans Bentzen)

NEWS graphic Robyn Brown

nel would maintain 16% erude.

3) Sandwell . po

Cost: not submitted. |

Length: 1.2 kilometres (.74
miles). -

The six- -lane Sandwell imniersed
tube tunnel would begin’ south of
Marine Drive on Capilano Road. It
would run across Burrard Inlet to
the east end of Stanley Park under
Lumberman’s Arch, then cross the
westernmost part of Coal Harbour
before connecting to Denman Street
in Vancouver.

“Anew. diamond interchange
would be built at the existing
Marine Drive and Capilano Road

i Thurlow

intersection to carry Capilano Road
over Marine.

Sandwell maintains that
Capilano Road's four lanes would
be adequate, but significant changes
would be made at the Capilano and
Upper Levels juncture for the
increased traffic. Lions Gate Bridge
would accommodate pedestrians
and cyclists, but the deck wouldn't
be replaced until later if possible.
Stanley Park Causeway would be
temoved,

4) Griblin

Cost: nol submitted.

Length: not available.

This immersed-tube tunnel
would start in Vancouver at Coal
Harbour on a manmade peninsula
und arc around Brockton Point. It
would corftinue to arc, across
Vancouver Wharves on the North
Shore before connecting to the
southern tip of McGuire at Welch
Street..It would feed directly into
Capilano Road and the Low Level
Road to the cast and west. On the
south shore, the tunnel would exit
onto Georgia Streef and the western
tip of Hastings: and. Gateway
Boulevard. The tunnel would
accommodate four general traffic
Janes and two transit rail lanes.
Lions Gate Bridge: would be
restored for buses, cyclists and
pedestrians. It would avoid Stanley
Park,

5) Bentzen

Cost:.$1.2 billion (self-financ-
ing).

Length: 4,500 meires’ Q. 8,
miles). F

The bored-tunnel proposal,
would be self-financed by, creating”
a 150-acre island slightly east of
Brockton Point with the excavated
rock and soil, Bentzen figures 100
acres could be developed for com-
mercial and residential use. His tun-
nel would .connect ‘with <1the
yw. area of downtown
_ Vancouver with bypass.tunnels to «.
“the south, shore of False Creek, On
the North Shore it would connect
with the MacKay: Creck corridor
with ‘possible connections to the
Upper Levels Highway.:The tunnel’
would accommodate six. general
traffic lanes and ‘two transit lanes.
‘Lions Gate Bridge would : ‘be
restored: for pedestri ians: cand,
cyclists..2°° 5° ges

6) Woodward) eG

Cost: $750 million: , :

Length: not.available.

The builders would ‘own the
* strircture until it-is paid for through
. tolls, The structure would then be.
turned over to the province, The
tunnel would be;bored from. the
Upper Levels Highway in the:
MacKay. Creek corridor |’ io
Vancouver’s Canada Place area, -
with connections to Hornby, Howe,
Seymour. and’ Richards. There
would -also be ‘a connection at
Marine Drive on the North Shore. |
The tunnel would have four. general
traffic lanes and a Skytrain lane.

Two lanes of general traffic and
cyclist’ and pedestrian traffic would’
be. maintained on Lions Gate”
Bridge. ;

NORTH VANCOUVER City council recently resolved to ask the’
Federation of Canadian Municipalities to lobby Ottawa for help in control-.
ling where adult video stores can set up business, Council's resolution ©
states that adult video stores and movie theatres can have significant
impacts on the community. The Canadian Charter of Riglits and Freedoms
prohibits municipalities from regulating such businesses. ‘

Shaban Luramit. :

North Vancouver ‘ :

The municipalities should have more powers to
limit adult video stores,