Ted McGrath / Flickr
Vancouver City Councillors have voted five-to-four in support of tearing down the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts, a controversial decision that has left many downtown residents and workers questioning the the council’s direction.
The viaducts were originally built in 1971 as part of a large free network that failed to be completed.
A recent release from the council expects the $200 million tear down project to begin in late 2017, and be completed by 2020 – but these estimates could change as a complete detailed plan and required land agreements are still needed before the bridge connecting to downtown Vancouver is removed.
While many argue that the removal of the viaducts will cause a further disaster for the city’s traffic, the council states that the viaducts only carry six per cent of traffic in and out of the downtown core. They’ve also countlessly pointed out that tearing down the bridge will save the city from spending $65 million in seismic upgrades, which is ironically a lot smaller than the $200 million to take it down..
Mayor Gregor Robertson adds that the removal will grant a once-in-a-generation city building opportunity.
