BC tunnel replacement cost rises to $8.5 B, Sep 2031

The estimated cost to replace British Columbia's aging George Massey Tunnel has more than doubled to $8.5 billion, provincial officials announced Monday, July 6, 2026. The projected completion date has also been delayed by nearly a year, moving from December 2030 to September 2031.

Transportation and Transit Minister Mike Farnworth said the updated budget reflects current market conditions, inflation, the project's scope, and the complexities of delivering a major infrastructure project. He stated the new estimate has been validated by an independent third party. The announcement follows a recent commitment from the federal government to contribute up to $3 billion toward the project, a financial partnership the province said it had always anticipated.

The eight-lane, toll-free tunnel beneath the Fraser River is intended to replace the existing four-lane tunnel, which was built in the 1950s. The project has been under discussion for over a decade. A previous plan for a 10-lane bridge, initiated under a previous government, was scrapped in 2017 over environmental concerns and objections from local officials.

The latest cost and timeline revision comes just weeks after the province...