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Update: Slow, snowy commute in Richmond as province, TransLink say stay home

Both the provincial government and TransLink are advising commuters to stay off the roads if they can due to snowfall.
Kirsten Clarke
richmond snow
No. 3 and Lansdowne roads around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.Kirsten Clarke

Both the provincial government and TransLink are advising commuters to stay off the roads if they can due to snowfall. 

“Because of extreme winter weather, motorists are advised to avoid all but essential travel through the Metro Vancouver region today, including the Fraser Valley,” says the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

As of 5:45 p.m., there are multiple vehicle stalls southbound between Steveston Highway and the Massey Tunnel, blocking the left lane. Crews are on scene. 

There won't be a counterflow at the George Massey Tunnel this afternoon. 

Earlier this morning, commuters were delayed coming through the tunnel and the counterflow lane couldn't be put in place until after 8 a.m. due to weather conditions.

While transit is running, TransLink says bus and SkyTrain service is “significantly impacted due to inclement weather” across the system.

“Customers are asked to consider whether they need to travel today, and if there is a need, whether they could consider travelling outside of rush hours, as commutes will take significantly longer than usual,” says TransLink.

According to tweets put out by TransLink around 5 p.m., the 430 and 480 buses are experiencing delays of up to 35 minutes, and the 410 and 301 delays of up to 90 minutes.

The 602 is experiencing delays of up to 60 minutes. 

HandyDart is essential service only.

According to TransLink's alerts page, there were 199 bus alerts as of 3 p.m. Multiple buses across the region face delays or are cancelled, including in Richmond. 

Canada Line trains were held at stations for around a half hour this afternoon due to a track issue at Bridgeport Station, according to TransLink.

A track issue at that same station around 9:30 a.m. this morning also placed northbound and southbound trains on hold. 

King George, Sapperton and Braid stations were closed due to switch issues for over an hour due to weather, according to TransLink.

The Alex Fraser Bridge was temporarily closed southbound this afternoon to give crews a chance to clear the snow, according to Drive BC. 

The bridge was closed around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday for around a half hour. The northbound bridgedeck has also been plowed.

Given the weather conditions, it's been slow-moving all day across the bridge, with multiple vehicle stalls and Drive BC warning of major delays.