Two Metro Vancouver mayors are calling on the provincial government to lower tolls on the Port Mann Bridge when disruptive repairs get underway on the aging Pattullo Bridge.

Surrey’s Linda Hepner and New Westminster’s Jonathan Cote both want B.C. to offer drivers a discount when the Pattullo undergoes necessary rehabilitation next year, a process that will reduce traffic to two lanes during the day and completely close the crossing on nights and weekends.

“I am definitely going to be reaching out to the government asking for whatever relief we can have,” Hepner said Friday.

Cote added a reduced toll would encourage drivers to use the highway system, rather than flood city streets with traffic.

Premier Christy Clark responded to the calls by deferring any toll decision to Treo, the operator of the bridge, which then rejected the idea of a price drop.

The planned $100 million Pattullo Bridge rehabilitation is expected to start in mid-2016 and last a whopping 18 months. During that time, pedestrians, cyclists and heavy trucks will be barred from using it.

TransLink said the work, which will consist of seismic upgrades and deck repair, is overdue and necessary to ensure safety on the 78-year-old crossing, which is one of the oldest in the region.

Critics at the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation have questioned the timing of the announcement, however, which came one day before the deadline to vote in the transit plebiscite.

“Typical TransLink, hide everything until the vote is over,” the CTF’s Jordan Bateman said.

Fred Cummings, the vice-president of the transit provider, said the upgrades have always been part of TransLink’s plan.

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Scott Roberts