B.C. terminates contractor on Massey Tunnel replacement project

The NDP says terminating the current contract to replace the Massey Tunnel will cut costs and won’t impact the timeline but the Opposition is not convinced.

The B.C. government has shared plans to spread out the work on the Massey Tunnel’s replacement among multiple contractors after terminating its previous contract—saying the move won’t increase the cost to taxpayers or delay the project’s completion.

The Fraser River Tunnel, a planned eight-lane crossing to replace the aging Highway 99 crossing, has seen preliminary planning and early on-site construction since January 2026, with major construction planned for 2027.

In September 2024, project design and build were given to Cross Fraser Partnership — a group comprised of Design Builders, Bouygues Construction Canada, Pomerleau BC, and FCC Canada.

The province announced Monday afternoon that it had a new “procurement approach” moving forward on the project. According to a news release, this plan aims to “allow more competition, more local contractors and ensure the best value for British Columbians.”

The province acknowledged the progress CFP has made so far, but explained that an “agreement on the commercial terms for final construction of the tunnel was not reached,” leading to the termination of their contract.

“By design, our process has a pre-existing termination option in case we could not reach mutually acceptable terms. We are well placed to leverage improving market competitiveness,” said Mike Farnworth, B.C.’s minister of transportation and transit.

Farnworth says the province’s new plan is to have new contractors compete for the contract “to seek the best possible value for taxpayers.” Work on the project will be divided into multiple parts, or procurement packages, as opposed to the single contract model CFP acquired in 2023.

“Moving to a revised procurement model creates more opportunities for Canadian and local contractors to participate while ensuring this nation-building project is delivered in the most fiscally responsible way possible,” he said.

Delta Coun. Dylan Kruger responded with a news release shortly after the announcement, calling for an independent investigation focusing on why negotiations failed, how much money has been spent to this point, and what terminating the process will cost.

Kruger further voiced concerns about a lack of transparency in how all of this will affect the project’s budget, completion date, and design.

“The Massey crossing is a critical trade corridor and transportation link for Delta, Metro Vancouver and the entire province. Residents have every right to know how much this decision will cost and how many additional years of delay they can expect,” he said.

“This project is too important and too expensive for British Columbians to be left in the dark. Transparency and accountability are not optional.”

The Fraser River Tunnel project had an estimated $4.15 billion in 2021. The province has yet to note any budget changes coming with its new procurement model, but it says work will continue in the meantime.

Project completion was estimated for 2030.