Construction of the long-awaited, $4.15-billion Fraser River Tunnel Project (FRTP) between Delta and Richmond, B.C., which will be able to withstand a powerful earthquake, is getting closer to reality.
Geotechnical investigations are now underway to obtain information that will help engineers and designers determine specifically how the project will be built and the timeline for construction.
Earlier, crews did marine soil testing work near the portals for the planned tunnel and along the highway alignment in Richmond and Delta. The work involved riverbed drilling from a barge.
Presently, they are collecting soil samples and conducting subsurface soil tests along the road alignment between Westminster Highway and Highway 17A. The work will continue into April.
The team is also testing ground-densification methods and conducting pump tests in the approaches to the new tunnel in Richmond and on Deas Island. Work is expected to continue until summer. Results of the geotechnical investigations will guide the final design of the project.
The new tunnel will be an eight-lane immersed tube that will replace the 60-year-old George Massey Tunnel, a major north-south connector for the movement of vehicles and goods. It will have a separate multi-use path to support pedestrians, cyclists and other active transportation.
The tunnel is being built 40 metres upstream from the existing crossing, which will stay open until the new one is ready. Construction is expected to begin next year and be completed in 2030.
Last fall, the B.C. government awarded Cross Fraser Partnership (CFP) a design early works agreement for the project. It is a consortium of Pomerleau BC Inc., Bouygues Construction Canada Inc., Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Canada Ltd., supported by design and engineering consultant Arcadis.
Final design and cost submission will culminate in a design-build agreement.
The partnership “recognizes the significance of FRTP to British Columbians in connecting communities, enabling goods movement, supporting active transportation and improving transit options for the thousands of people who rely on this crossing every day,” CFP says in a statement.
The state-of-the-art tunnel will incorporate advanced engineering solutions and sustainable construction practices, CFP says.
The tunnel is a main component of the broader Highway 99 Tunnel Program which is aimed at improving travel times for motorists and increasing connections across the South Arm of the Fraser River.
The present four-lane tunnel does not meet modern highway design or seismic standards for carrying Highway 99 under the Fraser River. Sections at both ends of the tunnel need upgrades to improve safety and traffic flow for vehicles, transit, cyclists and pedestrians.
The new underwater crossing will have three general-purpose lanes in each direction and a dedicated transit lane each way.
Minister of State for Infrastructure and Transit Dan Coulter noted earlier that, “Dedicated lanes through the tunnel will make public transit along the corridor faster and more reliable, and for the first time ever at this location, people will be able to cross the river on foot or by bike.”
Interestingly, the tunnel will be comprised of six massive sections, each about 130-by-45- metres, or the size of a football field. Each element will weigh approximately 60,000 tonnes. The tunnel sections will be made on Deas Island to promote efficiency and reduce construction traffic in the region. They will be stored until the riverbed is ready, then guided into position by tugboats.
While the sections are being built, a machine will dredge a trench at the bottom of the river. The trench will then be prepared for a section to be lowered into place.
Cables that span the river will secure the tunnel sections before they are carefully lowered into place. Special tanks within the sections will be filled with water to help lower the tunnel into position.
Once the tunnel section is in place, gravel will be added to the sides to secure it. Large boulders will be placed on top of the sections to protect them in the future. The immersion process will be repeated six times to lower each element.
The scope of the project also includes replacing the existing Deas Slough Bridge and Highway 99 upgrades between Westminster Highway in Richmond and Ladner Trunk Road in Delta.
In advance of tunnel construction, the province is making a number of other corridor improvements along the stretch of Highway 99. For example, the existing Steveston Highway Overpass is being removed, and construction crews have begun stone column installation and pile driving work. The existing bridge deck and structure are being replaced with a five-lane roadway at a cost of $87.5 million.
The first half of the new overpass is now complete, and removal of the old crossing has started. Once the old crossing is removed, work will begin on the second half of the new interchange.
Completion is set for this fall.
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