Premier-designate Doerkson has asked the outgoing New Democratic government to halt spending on the replacement of the George Massey Tunnel in Metro Vancouver, arguing that work during the transition should be limited to preparations for a bridge instead. The request comes ahead of the incoming government's swearing-in on November 20, and it returns one of British Columbia's largest transportation projects to the centre of the provincial agenda.
During the election campaign, Doerkson pledged to scrap the Fraser River Tunnel Project and to build a bridge for Highway 99 between Richmond and Delta instead. He has said the switch would save $2.5 billion, although the reporting available does not include a detailed cost comparison to support that figure. His office has indicated that existing contracts will be respected, and the incoming government plans to review the $8.5 billion project along with the alternatives before reaching a final decision. Until then, Doerkson has asked that only work supporting the bridge option continue.
The George Massey Tunnel carries Highway 99 under the Fraser River and is the aging structure the replacement is meant to address. Preparation work at the tunnel site is ongoing, and a June report showed that $580.7 million had already been spent on the project so far. That sum is the figure against which any decision to halt or redirect spending will be measured, and it is the main reason the request has drawn scrutiny from both sides of the legislature.
The spending request has also drawn attention from the construction sector. The BC Building Trades has raised concerns, noting that crews have been on the site since January. Cancelling the project immediately would idle about 200 tradespeople straight away, and about 1,700 further construction jobs are said to be at risk. For workers in the region, the timing of any change matters as much as the choice between a bridge and a tunnel, because the work already underway determines how many jobs are sustained through the review period.
Federal funding adds another dimension to the decision. Ottawa has pledged $3 billion for the project regardless of whether a bridge or a tunnel is ultimately built, which means the choice between the two options would not, on its own, change the federal contribution. The commitment means the provincial decision will shape how that money is spent rather than whether it is available.
Opposition politicians have responded sharply. Former Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth described the request as a deflection, and said Doerkson knew construction was underway when he promised to cancel the project during the campaign. Farnworth also said transition work is run by the non-partisan civil service rather than by the outgoing government alone, and that it will continue through an established process until the new administration takes office and its review is made public.
6
