Hwy 99 Fraser River Tunnel (George Massey Replacement) | Proposed

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

At this point I will be surprised if this project remains south of 8 billion.

That 2.5 billion bridge, major highway upgrade, and true rapid bus project that was canceled and would have been open for years now sure it looking mighty tasty!

Almost like a penny wise pound foolish decision to cancel. Though we know that was done to please the Greens.

Such a lost opportunity. They could have built the bridge and 2 or 3 hospitals the size of the new St. Paul's ... for what this tunnel is going to cost.

Ron.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by NewfBC

...They could have built the bridge and 2 or 3 hospitals the size of the new St. Paul's ... for what this tunnel is going to cost.

Everyone seems to be under the mistaken impression that the originally proposed bridge would have been completed within its budget, unlike other recent similar bridge projects. And that's before considering that the peak of construction would have fallen right around the time that we were maximally impacted by COVID.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Everyone seems to be under the mistaken impression that the originally proposed bridge would have been completed within its budget, unlike other recent similar bridge projects. And that's before considering that the peak of construction would have fallen right around the time that we were maximally impacted by COVID.

Yes, this. Would the bridge be finished by now? In all likelihood, yes. Would it be cheaper than the tunnel? Best guesses would suggest yes as well. However, it's a mistake to make unverifiable assumptions about the final cost and use that for comparative purposes.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Kinda sounds like the streetcar fanboys whining about how the Surrey streetcars would be up and running by now.

Yeah, at 200% the original cost, three years after the deadline, and now we need to build a SkyTrain anyway because the stupid thing's slow and overcapacity.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Kinda sounds like the streetcar fanboys whining about how the Surrey streetcars would be up and running by now.

Yeah, at 200% the original cost, three years after the deadline, and now we need to build a SkyTrain anyway because the stupid thing's slow and overcapacity.

From a first proposal backers complaining about second proposal comparison sure. But in every measurable way, the original bridge proposal is superior to the current tunnel proposal so to me it is more like SkyTrain fanboys wining about how we got Surrey streetcars 10 years later instead. Luckily with SkyTrain, calmer and more logical heads prevailed. With the tunnel replacement, that isn't happening, instead we're getting a proposal forced by the Greens at the time which ironically is worse for even the environment than the bridge would have been.

So, it feels like the naysayers in this case are right to be grumpy if you remove all the politics and look at the actual proposed solutions against each other. The NDP never would have cancelled the original project had they not needed the Greens to prop them up during that election and if that is the deciding factor on what major regional infrastructure gets built how, then we're in deep deep trouble. Hope everyone enjoys their increased water bill because of similar deciding factors taken place on the North Shore or everyone trying to commute South of the Fraser on Highway 1 for the next 15 years while they expand the highway by 1 lane at a pace many other jurisdictions around the world would complete in less than 3 years... or how about that "extremely important for industry in Northern B.C." Cariboo Connector that started in 2007 and is... oh that's right, not even 50% done.

Some of us just wish they'd remove the politics from the decision making and commitment side of things and actual focus on regional needs and solutions that meet those needs outside the petty politics. And it's all petty politics on all sides. It's stupid for the feds to not provide much money (pennies on the dollar) and it's stupid for the Provincial government to say no likely out of fear it would be shutting the door for more money. Meanwhile it is the regular residents of our regions and cities that suffer every day with inadequate infrastructure everywhere, where a single accident on one highway shuts down virtually every other highway with +1 hour commute times because we're always at nearly 100% capacity regionally.

Anyway /rant off, unfortunately at this stage anything is better than nothing so hopefully they start building the damned thing soon.

[Migrant_Coconut]

I mean, the Libs during that same election promise the Massey Bridge instead of the SkyTrain/s; they only reversed course once it was clear they'd lose. But fair, politicians suck.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Yeah, at 200% the original cost, three years after the deadline, and now we need to build a SkyTrain anyway because the stupid thing's slow and overcapacity.

This is a poor point, as no matter when the crossing will be replaced, it will still be completing late and over budget from a project price, which is several billion dollars more than originally. No matter how one wants to look at it, that money would have funded a large hospital or two, or the provincial funding portion of a Skytrain line somewhere.

Everyone lost here big time here when NDP screwed tax-payers with their little power play.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Klazu

... or the provincial funding portion of a Skytrain line somewhere.

Alas, the election was a choice between the bridge OR the SkyTrain, and SkyTrain won.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Alas, the election was a choice between the bridge OR the SkyTrain, and SkyTrain won.

[whatnext]

From BIV today. This is a total NDP fiasco.

Rob Shaw: NDP’s Massey Tunnel quagmire keeps sinking deeper
Construction is still years away, the budget is shaky and Ottawa wants no part of it. What exactly is the province doing?
Rob Shaw
about 3 hours ago

After more than eight years of promises, $300 million spent and almost nothing to show for it, there’s not a lot for the NDP government to brag about when it comes to the George Massey Tunnel project.

Which is perhaps why Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth didn’t try that hard to do so when quizzed about the issue recently during his ministry’s estimates.

Farnworth had to deploy all the ducking and dodging at his discretion for more than an hour to get out of the simple and obvious questions about why the NDP government continues to slow play the Massey project, despite promising in three elections now to solve what is the largest traffic bottleneck in the province.

“We are building the right project that is approved, was requested by the region,” said Farnworth. “It will be to the right heights, the right lane widths, the right everything.”

Maybe one day. Long in the distant future beyond 2030.

But in the meantime, there’s barely a hint of any activity around the current tunnel, which links Delta to Richmond....

....“I expect construction will start in 2026, in terms of what the member is looking for — bulldozers, diggers, those kinds of things,” replied Farnworth.

That timeline is shaky, at best. The project just submitted a new application for an environmental assessment certificate on May 9...

...Opposition transportation critic Harman Bhangu asked Farnworth how government can be constructing the new five-land Steveston Interchange as part of this project, just north of the tunnel in Richmond, without knowing where the new tunnel tube is going to sit.

“The contractors are working closely with the design of the tunnel, to ensure that the two, in fact, fit together,” replied Farnworth...

....Nobody believes the Massey Tunnel project will actually hold its $4.15 billion budget when (and if) construction begins in 2026, five years after the initial figures were conceived. And it’s almost impossible to believe that the massive construction project won’t blow through whatever new budget is set before (and if) it finishes in 2030....

https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/rob-...l-quagmire-keeps-sinking-deeper-10646645

[Orcair]

B.C.'s Environmental Assessment Office has officially received the Application for the project:
https://projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/p/620aa098fd30c700220f2805/project-details

May 9, 2025

The Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has received the application from the Ministry of Transportation & Transit for an environmental assessment certificate for the proposed Fraser River Tunnel project.

The Fraser River Tunnel is a proposed eight-lane immersed tube tunnel to replace the George Massey Tunnel on Highway 99 between Richmond and Delta, B.C.

The EAO will engage with First Nations, the technical advisory committee and the public to determine whether the application contains enough information to conduct an assessment of the potential impacts of the project. A public comment period will be announced soon.

[mcj]

Originally Posted by whatnext

...Opposition transportation critic Harman Bhangu asked Farnworth how government can be constructing the new five-land Steveston Interchange as part of this project, just north of the tunnel in Richmond, without knowing where the new tunnel tube is going to sit.

“The contractors are working closely with the design of the tunnel, to ensure that the two, in fact, fit together,” replied Farnworth...

Yeah this is some weak criticism here from the opposition. We know exactly where this tunnel is going to sit, that's never been the issue with this project.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Orcair

B.C.'s Environmental Assessment Office has officially received the Application for the project:
https://projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/p/620aa098fd30c700220f2805/project-details

Yeah, so they just got it last week after how many years this project has been in the planning stages...?

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

the NDP really screwed this one up, VERY badly.

and why? because of loser populism politics.

the previous project was approved, and started construction with contracts signed, and being done.

it would have opened in 2022, with 3 billion spent. better interchanges, better freeway upgrades, better transit design, better crossing design, cheaper, and done AT LEAST 10yrs sooner.

GOD JOB NDP, you useless idiots.

[mcj]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

it would have opened in 2022, with 3 billion spent. better interchanges, better freeway upgrades, better transit design, better crossing design, cheaper, and done AT LEAST 10yrs sooner.

Would have opened with tolls though, which were the right idea, but we leaned too hard into populism and now any party that runs on bringing those back is committing political suicide.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Tolls on new crossings could work, given the right argument.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

the NDP really screwed this one up, VERY badly.

and why? because of loser populism politics.

the previous project was approved, and started construction with contracts signed, and being done.

it would have opened in 2022, with 3 billion spent. better interchanges, better freeway upgrades, better transit design, better crossing design, cheaper, and done AT LEAST 10yrs sooner.

GOD JOB NDP, you useless idiots.

Equally idiotic are those who vote them back in.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Alas, the election was a choice between the bridge OR the SkyTrain, and SkyTrain won.

Skytrain? Also nothing to show for......word is that there is severe cost overrun from a budget of 4bil to 6bil. This project could potentially be in trouble too.

I think BC tax payers are screwed once again by NDP, but who cares right?

[Axe]

Originally Posted by Vin

Skytrain? Also nothing to show for......word is that there is severe cost overrun from a budget of 4bil to 6bil. This project could potentially be in trouble too.

I think BC tax payers are screwed once again by NDP, but who cares right?

Do you have a source for cost overruns?? or are you just guessing?

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Vin

- snip -?

Whereas under the Libs, we'd have a $12b bridge (or none at all) and zero SkyTrains being built. Given that cross-border traffic has suddenly fallen off a cliff, it looks like we dodged a bullet.

Originally Posted by Axe

Do you have a source for cost overruns?? or are you just guessing?

Probably the cost of the Langley extension, which was hiked up due to Covid supply chain disruptions. Currently under pre-construction as we speak.