Long weekend traffic creates lengthy waits at ferry terminals, border crossings

Long weekend traffic delays were rampant in the Lower Mainland on Friday, with BC Ferries reporting multiple-sailing waits with lineups stretching out of the terminal and into the main roads.

The routes from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay were seeing three-sailing waits through the morning. The Tsawwassen to Duke Point sailing was also seeing a two-sailing wait into the afternoon.

Delays on BC Ferries aren't abnormal for holiday weekends, but passengers trying to get to ferry terminals morning found traffic severely backed up for at least two kilometres with a jam of vehicles clogging up the Tsawwassen causeway long before the toll booth.

Some complained that they had reservations for the packed sailings, but couldn't even reach the booth to check-in on time.

"There doesn't seem to be a lot of information that's being disseminated, so we're not sure how long we're waiting for," said one passenger trying to get to Gibsons. "It's frustrating. We left what we thought what was early enough and arrived to find out there's a three or four-ferry wait," she added.

"It is what it is," said another couple on a spontaneous camping trip.

BC Ferries said its "terminal crew is aware the heavy traffic approaching Tsawwassen [and] crew is working diligently to check-in as many customers as possible."

The corporation warned travellers about the potential for heavy traffic ahead of the long weekend. Eighty-nine extra sailings were preemptively scheduled on the three routes that link Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.

Waits at the border weren't much better.

Lineups to cross from Canada into the United States were also lengthy Friday, nearing two-and-a-half-hours at Pacific Highway and Peace Arch crossings by midday.