'Scathing indictment': Massey Tunnel replacement will cost $8.5 billion, more than double original estimate

The estimated completion time for the Massey Tunnel replacement project has now been delayed almost a year, from December 2030 to September 2031, despite previous reports the timeline would remain the same. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /PNG

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The Massey Tunnel replacement project will cost $8.5 billion, more than double the original estimate of $4.15 billion from 2021, Transportation and Transit Minister Mike Farnworth announced Monday.

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Farnworth also said the estimated completion time for the project has been delayed almost a year, from December 2030 to September 2031, despite saying in mid-June that the timeline would remain the same.

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Farnworth said the updated budget reflects market conditions, inflation, project scope, and the realities of delivering a project of this size and complexity.

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“Major infrastructure projects around the world have experienced similar cost pressures, and it’s important that we provide British Columbians with transparent and realistic information as the project progresses.”

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The announcement comes three weeks after the province fired original contractors Cross Fraser Partnership — a consortium of Bouygues Construction Canada, Fomento de construcciones y contratas Canada, and Pomerleau B.C. — after the two parties failed to reach a final agreement.

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Last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa would cover a third of the cost of the project, up to a maximum of $3 billion. Premier David Eby said on the weekend a new budget estimate for the tunnel is expected soon.

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A replacement for the aging Massey Tunnel, built in the 1950s, has been in the works for well over a decade. The B.C. Liberals, under then-premier Christy Clark, promised a new 10-lane bridge to replace the tunnel.

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In 2017, the new NDP government under John Horgan scrapped the proposed bridge in favour of a new tunnel due to environmental impact concerns and objections voiced by Metro Vancouver officials.

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In 2021, a rendering of a new eight-lane immersed-tube tunnel to replace the George Massey Tunnel was released. The Massey Tunnel replacement project will cost $8.5 billion, more than double the original estimate of $4.15 billion from 2021, Transportation and Transit Minister Mike Farnworth announced Monday. PNG

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Delta councillor Dylan Kruger, who is seeking a mayoral seat this fall, said he wished the bridge project had been maintained because it would have been completed several years ago and cost much less.

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“Former minister (Rob) Fleming was adamant that there was no cost escalation, that there were no changes in the timeline. The current minister, Mike Farnworth, as recently as last week, said that there was no change to the timeline for the delivery of this project,” said Kruger.

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“This is a scathing indictment on what can only be described as generational mismanagement of this critical infrastructure project for our region and for our country.”

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He said residents who moved to Delta in 2012 and 2013 after the promise of a bridge have had their jobs and lives impacted by the switch to a tunnel.

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Ian Paton, Conservative MLA for Delta South, said Monday he expects the budget to increase as the project progresses, and the new tunnel could end up costing as much as $11 billion.