A business case for replacing the George Massey Tunnel in the Vancouver area has been received by the Canadian province of British Columbia.
The aging 61-year-old tunnel, part of the busy Highway 99 along the Pacific coast, is about 30km north of the border with the US state of Washington. It runs under the Fraser River and is Canada’s only tunnel below sea level.
Construction of the four-lane tunnel began in 1957 and it was opened to traffic in 1959, then called the Deas Island Tunnel. The tunnel now carries more than its design limit of 80,000 vehicles a day. Extensive renovations to the tunnel and attempts to improve access roads have been done over the years, but the structure has only about 10 years of useful life, according to some reports.
The provincial minister of transportation and infrastructure said that the two shortlisted options for a replacement presented to the public earlier this year – an eight-lane bridge and an eight-lane immersed tube tunnel – are among the options detailed in the business case. The provincial government will review the business case submission, consult with partners and stakeholders and make a final decision regarding the option. No date was given for a final decision.
An earlier replacement proposal – a 3km-long 10-lane cable stay bridge costing US$2.8 billion – was underway in 2015 with the government saying that construction was on target to start in 2017 for completion in 2022. The procurement process had started and three consortia were being considered.
One consortium was headed by Spanish company ACS and its local subsidiaries and included Star America Infrastructure Partners and Aecon. Another of the competing consortia comprises was Kiewit, Macquarie and Vinci. The third was made up of Fluor, John Laing and SNC-Lavalin.
However, a provincial election in 2017 saw a change of government which promptly scrapped the project in favour of more research and consultation with the mayors of the greater Vancouver area. In October 2019 the mayors recommended an eight-lane tunnel as the replacement.
When the initial bridge project was cancelled, local media reported that the province would pay $1.65 million to two of the three shortlisted consortia which had already submitted bids.
Keeping the existing tunnel open as an alternate route or as a route for cycling and pedestrians was mooted during previous proposals. But the cost of maintaining the ageing structure would be prohibitive, according to the government at the time.
Meanwhile, the government has been replacing the old tunnel lighting with LED units to improve safety for drivers. Other work includes improving tunnel drainage to prevent ice build-up and water from pooling at tunnel entrances. The ventilation and electrical systems will also be upgraded. Work is set for completion by spring 2021. Total cost is around $31 million.
