Delta and the Highway 99 tunnel project: what the new crossing means for Ladner and Tsawwassen

The Province is in the middle of building a new tunnel under the Fraser River to replace the aging George Massey Tunnel on Highway 99. Early construction started in January 2026, the cost has gone from $4.15 billion to $8.5 billion, and the opening is still set for 2031. The debate over whether that tunnel is the right choice for Delta resumed this week when the former project director for a proposed bridge said there is still time to change the design.

What the Province is building

The Highway 99 Tunnel Program will replace the four-lane George Massey Tunnel, which has been in place since 1959, with a new eight-lane, toll-free immersed tube tunnel. The new tunnel will run from Bridgeport Road in Richmond to Ladner Trunk Road in Delta, the Province's Highway 99 Tunnel Program website states.

The Metro Vancouver Board, which includes Delta and Richmond, endorsed the tunnel plan. The Province says it worked with Indigenous groups, local governments and stakeholders from 2018 onwards to arrive at this design.

The program is broader than the tunnel alone. Three transit and cycling projects were completed in 2023, and the Steveston Interchange opened in 2025. The tunnel is the fifth and largest piece.

Where the project stands now

Early construction started in January 2026, the Province's project website states. The early work includes clearing trees, moving utilities, and preparing for a casting basin where the tunnel sections will be made. The Province is also building three jetties, a trestle bridge to Deas Island, access roads and retaining walls.

The Province walked away from a consortium of four companies in July 2026 and said it would retender the work in smaller contracts to allow more local contractors to participate. As of early November, a new environmental assessment certificate is expected from the Ministry of Transportation and Transit by the end of 2026.

The federal government confirmed a $3 billion contribution to the project. Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon confirmed this at an October 30, 2026 announcement tied to the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project, the Delta Optimist reported.

The bridge argument

Geoff Freer was project director for a bridge that was designed to replace the George Massey Tunnel from 2012 until the NDP government cancelled it in 2017. He is now CEO of the Firth Group. On November 6, 2026, he told the Delta Optimist that building a bridge would be faster, less risky and less expensive than the immersed tube tunnel.

Freer said the original bridge design already received its environmental assessment certificate and that the Province could reuse much of the work. He pointed to soil conditions, the Fraser River current and tides, and seismic risk as reasons why a tunnel is harder to build.

He also raised a point about the number of usable lanes. An eight-lane tunnel with two lanes dedicated to transit means six lanes for general traffic, the same as the current tunnel provides when its counterflow lane is engaged, Freer told the Delta Optimist. And 60 percent of northbound traffic on Highway 99 goes to Richmond, not Vancouver, meaning many trips would still need a separate Richmond crossing.

The Province has not changed its plan. Freer's comments are his own view and not a government decision.

The federal government has since said it would fund the crossing either way. Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon confirmed a $3 billion contribution at an October 30 press conference in Delta, part of a $20 billion Ottawa-BC deal signed in July 2026. MacKinnon said the federal government would support a bridge if that is what the Province chooses, Victoria News reported on November 3. A bridge alternative is estimated at $6 billion with a five-year timeline, which would save about $2.5 billion compared to the current tunnel plan, Victoria News reported.

What Delta's new council promised

Daniel Boisvert and Sylvia Bishop, both elected as One Delta councillors in October 2026, carry a party promise on this crossing. The One Delta platform says the party will "work with the Province to deliver a timely replacement for the George Massey Tunnel." That promise is listed as not started on the promise tracker.

The first Regular Council Meeting for the new council is set for November 16, 2026, based on the meeting schedule at pub-delta.escribemeetings.com.

What residents can do now

The environmental assessment process for the tunnel is ongoing, and the Ministry of Transportation and Transit expects the certificate by the end of 2026. If you want to follow the project, the Province's Highway 99 Tunnel Program website at highway99tunnel.ca publishes current work updates.

If you want to know what your councillors plan to do about the crossing, their tracker pages are at /bc/delta-2026/candidates/daniel-boisvert and /bc/delta-2026/candidates/sylvia-bishop. The first Regular Council Meeting on November 16, 2026 is an opportunity for councillors to put the tunnel project on the agenda.