Word that tolling on the new Port Mann Bridge will begin in December is stoking resentment south of the Fraser River, where residents are complaining they're being unfairly gouged.
According to this week's B.C. budget, when the full eight lanes open at the end of the year, drivers will be charged $3 for every crossing.
BC Conservative leader John Cummins says that's evidence that people living south of the Fraser are getting a raw deal.
"When you put these tolls on, basically what you're doing is you're harming people that need to commute to get to work," he told CTV News.
Drivers in the region are already paying to cross the Golden Ears Bridge, and tolls are expected when the Pattullo is replaced as well.
Local mayors also believe they're carrying an unfair toll load.
"We all feel like we're carrying the burden for all of this new infrastructure and yet it serves the entire region," Langley City Mayor Peter Fassbender said.
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts believes the tolls will just re-route traffic to places like the Alex Fraser Bridge or through the tunnels.
"You're really missing the mark in terms of traffic management," she said.
Some mayors are suggesting that placing a smaller toll on all bridges in the Lower Mainland might make things more equitable.
"If you go anywhere in the world, you might pay 50 cents, you might pay 75 cents, but it's spread evenly and it goes into the transportation system," Watts said.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Michele Brunoro
