By Jessica Kerr

Six-month pilot project not yet underway between Deltaport and Tilbury

Delta's MLAs are concerned that longer trucks on local roadways could prove to be a safety hazard.

At a Delta council meeting in August, civic politicians endorsed a pilot project with Maersk Distribution that would see the company operate its extended length trucks between its facility on River Road and the Deltaport container terminal at Roberts Bank.

The trucks, which are known as extended length super B-trains (ELS B-trains), are combination vehicles consisting of a tractor and two trailers that measure just over 12 metres in length.

The company must first obtain a highway use permit, a highway use licence and a provincial permit before the six-month trial period can begin.

If allowed to proceed, the trucks would move between Deltaport and Tilbury via Highway 17, 62B Street and River Road.

Both Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington and Delta North MLA Guy Gentner have expressed concerns at the possibility of the "trucks trains" making their way onto Delta roads.

"It raises a whole lot of questions," Gentner said. "The Liberals are fundamentally changing road transportation with the introduction of truck trains between the coast and the interior. I think this is just the beginning of the horror show on B.C. roads."

He has asked the practice of permitting long combination vehicles be stopped until the provincial government addresses safety concerns and sustainable transportation alternatives.

Huntington expressed serious concerns over the safety of having these types of trucks on Delta roads.

"I don't like the concept of truck trains in urbanized areas," she said. "I'm very concerned about the safety aspect."

Municipal engineering director Steven Lan told council that some intersection improvements would be needed if the trial period goes ahead.

A staff report outlines the need for road widening improvements at the intersection of River Road and River Way to provide an adequate turning radius for the trucks as well as an alteration to traffic signal timing.

If approved, the trial would be implemented in phases.

"We're going to be working with them to ensure it's a phased-in process," Lan said last month, adding that initially the trucks would only move during off-peak hours.

Combination trucks similar to the ELS B-trains have been used in Saskatchewan and Manitoba since the 1970s and in Alberta since the mid-1990s.

Ontario began a pilot program in 2009 to study the impact of long combination vehicles. Full results of the study have not been released yet, but early indications are the project has proceeded smoothly and there have been no collisions with more than 11,000 truck trips covering 3.5 million kilometres.

© Copyright (c) Delta Optimist