B.C. promises solution to Annacis Island traffic short cut

Traffic cheats using Annacis Island as short cut around congestion on the Alex Fraser Bridge beware: the provincial government was struck a working group to find a way to put an end to the practice.

It has created a congestion nightmare for businessoperations for the largest industrial park in the Lower Mainland.

In a release Friday, Transportation Minister Todd Stone said it is, "unacceptable for people to divert onto Annacis Island as a short cut."

"Therefore, the ministry is taking action by forming a working group with the Corporation of Delta and local stakeholders to find traffic management solutions that will reduce congestions."

The promise of an eight to 10 person working group comes after several local businesses have complained since January about the way some commutersoften stuck in traffic on Highway 91 take theAnnacisIsland off ramp, makea left turn into a parking lot and then rejointhe southbound traffic while skipping the backlog oftraffic.

How drivers take illegal shortcuts through Annacis Island

9 years ago

Duration 1:05

Traffic cheaters causing commuter chaos, say businesses

While it's not against the Motor Vehicle Act for drivers to make a U-turn in a business parking lot, police say they may be committing an offence with the actual left turn itself into the parking lot.

"All of the truckers that have to work on Annacis,I feel really bad for them," said Megan Larsen, vice-president with MasonLift. Hercompanywill be part of the working group.

"I mean most of them, they're paid by the job and when they're spending hours just trying to get on and off the island, that's crazy."

Earlierin the year police in Delta cracked down on people taking the shortcut by issuing $121 tickets and two demerit points, but that has not snuffed out the problem.

"It got really crazy a couple of months ago," said Larsen, who also told CBC that it sometime takesher employees up to onehour to get off the island during the evening commute.

• Annacis Island traffic shortcuts prompt petition
• How drivers take illegal shortcuts through Annacis Island
• Massey Tunnel to be replaced with B.C.'s largest toll bridge

The ministry tried putting in picketsat the southbound merge onto Highway 91 from Annacis Island to deter traffic short-cutting by creating some delay, but that also impacted legitimate traffic on the island.

"As a result, the ministry has removed the pickets and will meet with the working group to explore other ways to help mitigate the diversion issues," it said as part of the release, which also mentions the ministry'smulti-step plan to try andunclog congestion on the Alex Fraser Bridge and Highway 91.

Larsen hopes the working group moves fast; she says she's worriedthe problem will only get worseonce the government begins work on the Massey Tunnel replacement in 2017.

Her solution is to ban non-local traffic from AnnacisIsland during rush hour by affixingdevices to vehicles that belong and fining those who do not have them.

"It's obviously self-serving for Annacis Island employees," she said.