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Plenty of important figures were on hand to kick off construction on the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project on Wednesday.
“After four years of consultation with First Nations, municipal and regional governments, and a tremendous amount of technical work, construction is underway on the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project,” said Transportation Minister, Todd Stone.
The project will replace the seismically vulnerable four lane tunnel with a 10 lane bridge.
The five year project is expected to generate approximately 9,000 direct jobs.
“This project will address the needs of our residents, the agricultural community, local business, commerce, and industry by aiding in the movement of people and goods throughout the Lower Mainland, while also improving the safety and quality of life of our citizens,” said Delta mayor, Lois E. Jackson. “This project is a testament to what can be accomplished when multiple levels of government work together for the benefit of all.”
Two contracts have been awarded for site preparation work, which will improve drainage and ground conditions in advance of the major construction.
One is an $11.5-million contract for Hall Constructors of Surrey to prepare the site south of the tunnel.
The other is a $5.8-million contract for B&B Heavy Civil Construction of Surrey to prepare the site along Highway 99 between Bridgeport Road and Steveston Highway.
"We're excited to be a small part of history as our crew begins the work on the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project," said Chad Tenney, vice-president of Hall Constructors. "The good jobs created by this project will benefit our employees and their families, and the many others who will work on the project over the next five years."
The contract has yet to be awarded for the main construction of the $3.5 billion project.
The new bridge and associated highway improvements expect to cut travel times in half for the 80,000 vehicles and 10,000 transit passengers that use the tunnel each day.
The new bridge will also include a multi-use pathway with connections to Steveston Highway and River Road, which will make walking and cycling the bridge a viable option.
After site preparation, major construction will begin later in 2017 and the bridge is expected to open in 2022, at which point the tunnel will be decommissioned.
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