Friday, October 22, 1993 ~ North Shore News - 3 esign calls for double-deck Lions Gate $170M option would re retain spam’s heritage value while adding three lanes A TEAM of. engineering and design minds has pres- ented the province with an innovative proposal fer the aging Lions Gate Bridge that doubles traffic lanes on the bridge from three to six and maintains its esthetic heritage. By A.P. McCredie News Reporter Roger Bayley and Paul Merrick, of Vancouver-based Pau! Merrick Architects, presented their Lions Gate Heritage Choice concept to the. Ministry of Transportations’ Choices Community Focus Group last Tuesday in Victoria. The proposed design — the brainchild of engineer and North Shore resident Bayley — features a double-decked span using Lions Gate Bridge’s existing towers. According to the plan, the new decks would be supported by a cable-stayed system strung from additions to the bridge’s two ex- isting towers... The 55-year-old span ’s existing cable system would remain intact, but solely for esthetic purposes. Calling the Lions Gate Bridge a symbol :of the spirit of our pio- -meers.and their vision of the future, Bayley said at a Wednes- day i-press. conference that his - design satisfies a number of public concerns that. have surfaced since “serious discussion. of. updating the bridge began earlier this year.: — . © “In ‘coming up with this design, 1 concent: ted on dealing. with the NORTH VANCOUVER District resident Umeeda Switto took sam- Graphic Vincent fameo ; THE HERITAGE Choice design for the Liens Gate Bridge would preserve the historic esthetic of the span. The bridge's traffic '!anes would increase from the existing three to six by using a double- decked design. bridge as a piece of our history, not as a piece of a super-highway arterial system,’’ Bayley stated. His $170 million design — features: @a double-decked span, with each uni-directional deck carrying. two lanes of vehicle traffic and one lane of public transit; ‘ea three-lane tunnel under : the ‘existing Stanley Park causeway connecting the southbound lower deck to the southern entrance’ of NEWS photo Paul McGrath pies of pink creek water beside her home in January 1992. The water was later analyzed and used as evidence in connection with a pollution charge. READERS’ VOICE CALL US: 983-2208 the park; ®a raised platform at the north end of the bridge carrying upper deck vehicles onto the existing ‘Marine Drive outlets; © two dedicated bicycle lanes (up- per deck) and two dedicated pe- destrian pathways (lower deck), __ According to the plan, no Stanley Park vegetation would be lost, and, because half of the ex- isting traffic would be under- -ground, traffic noise levels in the park would be reduced, Also, the tunnel ventilation ° system would be designed to reduce road surface and forest floor pollutant levels. In keeping with the preservation theme of the design, Bayley envi- sions the causeway as a_ historical Park Drive, complete with the original ‘light © standards © and signage. “The two choices: “presented by the ministry that employ the cur- tent bridge have fewer lanes than this proposal,’ Bayley said, refer- ting to the three- and four-lane plans unveiled last February by then-Transportation and High. ways Minister Art Charbonneau. The cost of those options ranged [from $86 million up to $121 inillion. Construction of the complete $170 million system proposed by Bayley would take approximately three years. Bayley added that it could be built in two phases: @ the $100 million first phase would include construction of the bridge's upper deck, which would require the closure of the bridge from 21:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on weekdays over a one-year period; @ the $70 million second phase construction of the lower deck would follow completion of the upper deck; traffic -would be diverted to the new upper deck roadway while the lower deck is completed, Bayley said the two-phase: operation allows the province to collect tolls from the first phase to finance the second phase. Though details were not avail- able to press time, Merrick said a private-sector. financing plan is being explored. Ministry communications nian- ager Betty Nicholson said that more than 10 design proposals have been presented to the Corn- munity Focus Group thus far. The group, which is.chaired by West _ Vancouver’s Arthur . Grif- ‘fiths,. will. present. the . ministry with its choice for the oridge later this year. . . irm fined for polluting cree Oil spill nets concrete pumping co. $3, 000. penalty A LANGLEY-BASED concrete pumping: company, charged with polluting a North Vancouver creek, received a $3,000 fine in North Vancouver provincial court’on’ Wed- nesday. Thain Creek! was: polluted with an estimated seven gallons (30 litres) of hydraulic oil on Jan. 4, 1992... - : : A Weston’s; Concrete Pumping Ltd. cement truck was pumping concrete for a foundation at 4218 Coventry Way. when the vehicle - experienced a hydraulic leak from a gasket. i The truck’s driver, Alex - Williams, 27, continued to pump concrete into the foundation and did not attempt to prevent the leaking. red fluid from entering storm drains, said Crown lawyer Jim MacAulay. . Witnesses said Williams added five to 10 gallons (23 to 45 litres) of hydraulic oil to the truck while the fluid leaked out of the vehicle. “Williams stated that there was a lot of money at stake if he discontinued pumping (the con- crete),”’ said MacAulay. Who do you plan to vote for in the federal election? Ruth Skinner West Vancouver I'm voting for the Reform Party because I believe they’re the only party that is telling us the truth. Marnie Van Camp West Vancouver 1 intend to vote for the Reform Party. Contrary to what other parties are saying about Reform right now, I believe they are the only party prepared to make re- alistic cuts in many areas. By Anna Marie D’Angelo News Reporter The leak continued for one hour during the rainy day, according to witnesses, The fluid flowed storm drains and then Thain Creek catch basin. According, to evidence presented, the spill did not cause environmental damage or kill fish in the coho-bearing creek. : MacAulay asked for a fine of $5,060 to $10,000 in connection with the company’s guilty plea. The maximun penalty for the offence -is $} million under the Waste Management Act. Williams, whose job with Weston’s was subsequently termi- nated, was also charged in con- nection with the incident. His charge was stayed, into | three into ‘the campaign leading up to the Oct. Judge Jerome: Paradis ‘said the incident’ appeared both accidental . . and deliberate. . os “It appears that some business decision was made to continue... I“. : accept, in principle, when. pouring concrete, once it’s begun, it has to : be completed,” said Paradis..." Paradis said he weighed the company’s . ability to pay’ a fine * against the degree of the spill. “To suggest the court should gauge sentencing “to some public demand for harshness, or even _le-~ niency for that matter,'in my view is misguided,”’ said Paradis. . Weston’s ‘lawyer . Richard -Molstad had asked: for a $2,000 fine. He described the small com- pany as being “not: particularly profitable. ”’ Molstad stated Byron Weston, the company’s 44-year-old owner, has instructed employees regarding procedures to contain future spills. Meanwhile, creek neighbor Umeeda Switlo was credited as reporting the spill to North Van- See Creek page § TO PROVIDE .North Shore voters with more local input into the 25 federal election, the North Shore News’ election coverage will focus on your opinions and concerns. Your Call will appear in every issue, asking you questions relating to the election. The same question will repeat for three issues, with a fresh question every Sunday. You'can only cast one vote, but you can express yourself every day by dialling 983-2208. Robin North Vancouver 1 plan to vote for Mobina Jaffer of the Libera! Party. I think she’s done a lot for the com- munity. | THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Who do you plan to vote for in the federal election? Don Evison North Vancouver I’m going to vote for the. Pro- gressive Conservatives. Anybody but the Reform Party would be my choice.