Drivers were trapped for hours last night after the northbound lanes of Highway 99 near the George Massey Tunnel closed because of a crash.
The collision occurred during the afternoon rush, just after 4 pm. Many drivers heading home were stopped for four hours or more — from afternoon until after dark.
People got out of their parked cars to stand on the highway. One driver posted a TikTok video showing the scene.
@rjrogersjr All tunnel lanes closed. #vancouver ♬ original sound – Rj Rogers
DriveBC shared a video of the backup after sunset when emergency crews were still working to clear the crash.
⛔️#MasseyTunnel Northbound traffic remains blocked due to vehicle recovery. Southbound is reduced to a single lane. #BCHwy99 #DeltaBC #RichmondBC https://t.co/5McuKEf9RD pic.twitter.com/aFSBoVGgLf
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) October 16, 2024
“Hey you bozos just give people an estimate of when it opens up. Been in this mess since 4:15. Just give people some honesty of when it’s gonna open,” one person replied.
DriveBC addressed the complaint, saying police still needed to clear the scene before cleanup could begin.
If we knew in advance, we’d have reported that at the time.
We have to wait for RCMP to clear a scene before any cleanup can begin.
Tow crews are just packing up now inside the tunnel, so it shouldn’t be much longer.— DriveBC (@DriveBC) October 16, 2024
Discussion about the long wait also made it onto Reddit, where drivers joked about surviving the mess. Some also pointed to poor Fraser River crossings as a provincial election issue.
“Hah, I avoided all of that by taking the 10 lane Massey bridge, that was completed in 2022,” one person joked.
“The lower mainland seriously needs more ways across the Fraser River,” another said.
“It’s downright embarrassing at this point,” a third added.
Folks also turned to more serious discussions, including what to do if you have to use the bathroom while trapped in gridlock. Redditors suggested an empty bottle for urine and everything from an empty Pringles can to a sock for feces.
Daily Hive has reached out to RCMP for more details on the crash.