Consortium selected for US$3bn Canadian tunnel project

A render of the under-river segment of the George Massey Tunnel near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Image: Highway 99 Tunnel Program)

The project will refurbish and expand the existing George Massey four-land passage, which tunnels under the Fraser River, into an eight-lane motorway. It’s projected to cost CAD$4.15 billion (US$3 billion), according to local media.

The tunnel, which first opened in 1959, is made of six precast concrete sections measuring about 105m (344ft) long, 7m (24ft) tall and 24m (78ft) wide. To construct it, the sections were sunk into a shallow trench dug into the riverbed, then the trench and tunnel sections were covered with a layer of rock.

The Province of British Columbia (BC) noted an environmental assessment is underway alongside project design, much of which has been completed by the province.

Officials said they were in discussions with Cross Fraser Partnership on a final design and construction contract.

Initial construction for the project started in 2022 on a five-lane interchange on the north side of the tunnel. Major construction on the river tunnel is scheduled for 2026, which is expected to open in 2030.

It’s significant progress for a scheme more than one-decade in the making. In 2013, the BC government announced a concept for a 10-lane bridge to replace the tunnel but that idea was ruled out in 2017.