Conservative MLA says George Massey Bridge would cost $5 billion less than the NDP tunnel
Delta-South MLA Ian Paton says the incoming Conservative government will replace the NDP's $8.5-billion tunnel with a 10-lane bridge, which he says would be done in five years for $5 billion less.
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Delta-South MLA Ian Paton told CityNews Vancouver on 30 October 2026 that the incoming Conservative government plans to scrap the BC NDP's $8.5-billion eight-lane tunnel and replace it with a 10-lane George Massey Bridge. Paton said the bridge would cost $5 billion less and be finished in five years.
"The math says that it would be $5 billion cheaper to go back to building the bridge, and the bridge will be completed sooner than the tunnel could ever be completed," Paton told CityNews. His $5-billion figure is his own claim; he did not cite an independent study.
Paton told CityNews that a completed environmental assessment from the earlier bridge proposal, done before the NDP government switched to a tunnel plan, is already in place. He said the bridge would follow Highway 99 on both sides of the river, running over the existing Massey Tunnel. He said he was confident the project would attract federal funding, without citing a specific commitment.
The Conservative Party's platform, on page 57, commits to building the bridge within the $8.5 billion already allocated for the crossing. It also promises to publish the bridge's budget and schedule before construction begins, and to ask the federal government to apply its announced contribution of up to $3 billion to the bridge. Read the platform promises at /bc/provincial-2026/tracker#gov-promise-george-massey-bridge.
Workers on site
Bryan Railton of the International Union of Operating Engineers told CityNews that 200 workers currently on the tunnel construction site would lose their jobs immediately if the project is cancelled.
"There isn't a bridge sitting in our back pocket, so when a tunnel gets cancelled, or if it gets cancelled, those workers will be out of work the next day," Railton told CityNews.
Paton said the government would revisit the 2017 bridge plans to allow the new project to begin.
Delta mayor-elect Melissa Granum told CityNews she would support a bridge if the Conservatives make their case. "The decision of bridge-versus-tunnel, I would be a bridge supporter," she said. Granum was elected in the October 17 municipal election and has not yet been sworn in.
People who use the Massey Tunnel corridor between Delta and Richmond can follow the government's next announcement about the crossing, including its commitment to publish a budget and schedule before building starts, through Ian Paton's candidate page and the Delta-South district page.
Questions this story answers
What is Ian Paton proposing for the George Massey crossing?
Delta-South Conservative MLA Ian Paton told CityNews Vancouver on October 30 that the incoming Conservative government plans to replace the BC NDP's eight-lane Massey Tunnel with a 10-lane George Massey Bridge. He said the bridge would be built using a 2017 environmental assessment that was completed before the NDP government switched to a tunnel plan. The tunnel has not yet been cancelled; no formal government order has been issued.
How much does Paton say the bridge would cost compared to the tunnel?
Paton told CityNews the bridge would cost $5 billion less than the tunnel. The NDP government's tunnel project carried an $8.5-billion price tag. Paton's $5-billion saving figure is his own claim to CityNews; he did not attribute it to an independent document. The Conservative Party's platform, on page 57, commits to building the bridge within the $8.5 billion already allocated.
How long does Paton say the bridge would take to build?
Paton told CityNews that commuters could expect to drive over the bridge in five years. He did not give a construction start date or an independent estimate. The platform promise at /bc/provincial-2026/tracker#gov-promise-george-massey-publish-budget-schedule commits to publishing a budget and schedule before building starts.
What happens to the 200 workers currently building the tunnel?
Bryan Railton of the International Union of Operating Engineers told CityNews that the 200 workers on site would lose their jobs immediately if the tunnel project is cancelled. Railton said there is no bridge ready to start work on right away. Paton acknowledged the disruption and said the government would revisit the 2017 bridge plans to restart work.
Does the George Massey Bridge have an existing environmental assessment?
Paton told CityNews there is already a completed environmental assessment for a bridge at the same location, dating from the earlier bridge proposal before the NDP government switched to a tunnel. He said the bridge would follow Highway 99 on both sides of the river, running over the existing Massey Tunnel. CityNews did not independently confirm the status of the assessment.
What does Delta's mayor-elect think of the plan?
Delta mayor-elect Melissa Granum told CityNews she would support a bridge if the Conservatives can demonstrate their case. She said: 'The decision of bridge-versus-tunnel, I would be a bridge supporter.' Granum was elected in the October 17, 2026 City of Delta municipal election and has not yet been sworn in.
What does the Conservative platform promise about the George Massey crossing?
The Conservative Party's platform commits on page 11 to building a new George Massey Bridge and dropping the tunnel project. Page 57 says the bridge will be built within the $8.5 billion already set aside for the crossing. The platform also commits to publishing the bridge's budget and schedule before construction begins, and to asking the federal government to apply its announced contribution of up to $3 billion to the bridge project. Read the promises at /bc/provincial-2026/tracker#gov-promise-george-massey-bridge.
Has the tunnel project been formally cancelled?
No. As of October 30, 2026, Paton outlined the Conservative plan to CityNews but the tunnel has not been formally cancelled and no government order has been issued. The Conservative government has not yet been sworn in. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has not announced a swearing-in date.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- CityNews Vancouver (by Emma Crawford): BC Conservatives revive call for Fraser River bridge to replace Massey Tunnelvancouver.citynews.ca
- Elections BC: Initial count, BC General Election October 24, 2026results.elections.bc.ca
- Conservative Party of BC platform (PDF), pages 11 and 57conservativebc.ca
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