Work continues on the Highway 99/George Massey Tunnel safety improvement project with several components of the project about to get underway inside the tube.
Delta's engineering department notes the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure recently awarded the George Massey Tunnel Safety and Reliability Improvements project to Black and McDonald Ltd.
Construction is expected to begin in mid-May.
The scope of work includes improving tunnel drainage to reduce the risk to drivers from pooling water and ice on the road at tunnel entrances, converting tunnel and roadway lighting to the LED standard to increase visibility, upgrading the fire alarm, fire door, ventilation and electrical systems to ensure reliability and ongoing safety within the tunnel, as well as washing the tunnel on an ongoing basis.
Alternating tunnel closures will be required during the work as follows:
• North tube closures - Between July 2020 to November 2020
• South tube closures - Between November 2020 to March 2021
Tunnel closures will be completed during nighttime hours and traffic will use the counter-flow lane to divert to the unobstructed tunnel, with single-lane traffic in each direction.
The total cost for the George Massey Tunnel Safety and Reliability Improvements project is $40 million.
Meanwhile, despite the situation with the coronavirus pandemic, work continues on the business case for a replacement for the George Massey Tunnel.
That’s according to the Ministry of Transportation which had planned to have a business case completed by the end of this year.
The ministry notes its work is still continuing toward completing it by fall 2020.
The government has boiled down the options to two, one being a new immersed eight-lane tunnel and the other being a long-span bridge with the same number of lanes.
Last year, a task force of Metro Vancouver mayors endorsed an eight-lane immersed tunnel, but the provincial government has the final say.
The go-ahead to initiate the environmental review for either option would happen in 2021.
The initiative is being dubbed the George Massey Tunnel Crossing Project.
