Congestion from overpass repair increases costs for commuters, economist says

A crash that caused significant damage to a highway overpassin Surrey on Dec. 4has forced the major roadway down to single lane traffic.

• Truck slams into Highway 99 overpass, causing road closures

The driver of a truck struck the 152nd Street overpass at Highway 99, causing substantial damage.

The costs to the driver? Just under $500 in fines for driving without due care and without anover-heightvehicle permit.

The costs to commuters however, may be much greater.

According to Dale Bugin with Canada's Ecofiscal Commision, congestion caused by these surprise closures can take a toll on commuters' time and fuel.

"Let's be honest, the Lower Mainland is a pretty congested jurisdiction there is a lot of traffic and a lot of time lost," he said.

Wasted time and fuel

In Vancouver, Bugin said congestion costs commuters billions of dollarsevery year.

"They are spending more time by having to take a detour or not moving at all ... that is lost time for that individual," he said.

As for what repairing the overpass is going to cost, the ministry said it's still developing an estimate.

"As we develop a repair plan, we'll start to have a better idea of what we're looking at," said Kellen Truant, bridge area manager with the Ministry of Transportation.

Police said a similar accident on Highway 10 near Ladner Trunk Road took several months to repair.

The ministry said it will be working with ICBC on a claim to recover the costs of the damage, after the repairs are complete.