Doerkson calls for a 10-lane Massey bridge as B.C. reviews George Massey Tunnel replacement delays

The Story

B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson said on October 15, 2026 that a future Conservative government would return to a 10-lane bridge to replace the George Massey Tunnel.

The George Massey Tunnel, which first opened in 1959, connects Richmond with Delta and provides access between Metro Vancouver communities; the replacement project is intended to address congestion, safety and capacity constraints.

The replacement plan has shifted repeatedly since early proposals to replace the crossing began: in 2015, the provincial government announced a 10-lane bridge estimated at $3.5 billion, but the plan was later cancelled after a change in government.

In 2021, the province chose an eight-lane George Massey Tunnel replacement approach instead, with an original estimate of $4.15 billion and an opening target of 2030. The estimated cost later rose to $8.5 billion and construction delays pushed the opening target to 2031.

A timeline of further changes includes plans being put on hold in 2018 until 2020, and in 2019 Metro Vancouver mayors wrote to then-Premier John Horgan to stress concerns and call for a tunnel replacement. In 2023, the province shifted back towards a tunnel-based approach, and in 2024 the project was set to move forward.

Construction was scheduled to begin in 2027 for the tunnel replacement, but in June 2026 the province ended its arrangement with the Cross Fraser Partnership after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on final construction terms.

The project history cited for the delays and changing plans points to a combination of political priority shifts, costly infrastructure planning, environmental and land-use concerns, procurement difficulties, and changing timelines, with each design or procurement change requiring parts of earlier work to be revisited.