THE public is invited to learn more and provide feedback about the replacement for the George Massey Tunnel and how environmental impacts during construction will be managed now that the application for the project’s environmental assessment certificate has been submitted, the Ministry of Transportation and Transit announced on Thursday.
To ensure construction of the new tunnel begins as soon as possible, construction-level project design is underway now.
People are invited to provide feedback to the Environmental Assessment Office on the application to ensure it includes all the studies and information required to assess the potential positive and negative impacts of the project. The public comment period runs from May 22 until June 23.
The new toll-free tunnel will include three travel lanes and one dedicated transit lane in each direction, improving travel times for transit and drivers along Highway 99. When complete, it is expected that drivers will travel at speeds of approximately 80 km/h along the corridor, compared to 30 km/h today. The tunnel will also include a dedicated multi-use pathway that will allow walking and cycling across the river at this location for the first time.
In advance of the new eight-lane tunnel’s construction, corridor improvements continue along Highway 99. These include replacement of the Steveston Highway Crossing with a new five-lane interchange. The first half of the new interchange is open to vehicles, with the second half under construction. The new interchange will be completed later in 2025.
The Province has also started preliminary work to expand Highway 99 between Westminster Highway and Steveston Highway, with the placement of preload complete.
People can learn more about the project and the environmental assessment process by attending a public open house:
Wednesday, June 4
Delta Hotels Vancouver Delta / Cascadia Casino and Conference Centre
6005 Highway 17A
Delta
4-8 p.m.
Thursday, June 5
UBC Boathouse
7277 River Road
Richmond
4-8 p.m.
Project team members and Environmental Assessment Office staff will be available at the sessions to provide information and answer questions about the project and the environmental assessment process. Feedback can be provided online here: https://engage.eao.gov.bc.ca/
If the N.D.P. had not been elected over the Christy Clark lead Liberal Party a ten lane bridge would have been built a decade ago. Instead we are still waiting for studies, design and approvals. The N.D.P. have made a botch job of this project just as they did with the SPS over RCMP fiasco where they never allowed the citizens of Surrey to make their choice count. No referendum and a dictated settlement to appease a particularly vocal ethnic element of Surrey voters but not the majority. 50K signatures on petitions and the N.D.P. decided to ignore them in favour of pushing forward their agenda. I see my taxes increased because of this … how about the rest of Surrey ?