---
title: "BC Conservatives promise to build 10-lane George Massey Bridge and cancel NDP tunnel plan"
description: "Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson announced on October 15 that his party would cancel the BC NDP's $8.5 billion immersed tunnel and revive a 10-lane bridge to replace the aging George Massey Tunnel."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/lorne-doerkson-conservative-massey-bridge-2026"
last_updated: "2026-10-17T18:42:33.039Z"
---

The Conservative Party of BC announced on October 15 that it would cancel the BC NDP's $8.5 billion immersed tunnel project and build a 10-lane bridge to replace the George Massey Tunnel on Highway 99.

Conservative leader [Lorne Doerkson](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/lorne-doerkson) made the commitment at an event in Surrey, according to Daily Hive Vancouver, which reported that the party would revive the bridge plan first approved under the BC Liberal government in 2017. "Families in the Lower Mainland are stuck in traffic every day because the NDP cancelled a bridge that should already be open. My government will build it, on time and on budget," Doerkson said.

## What the Conservatives are committing to

The Conservative commitment is for a 10-lane bridge, compared with the NDP's current plan for an 8-lane immersed tube tunnel. The party says a bridge would cut commute times by up to 30 minutes for regular drivers on the corridor and improve freight movement.

The party did not release an updated cost estimate. The original 2017 bridge estimate was $3.5 billion. One contractor submitted a bid of $2.6 billion in 2017. Both figures are from nearly a decade ago and do not reflect current construction costs.

## What the NDP has been building

The NDP's current tunnel project carries an estimated price of $8.5 billion, an increase from the initial estimate of $4.15 billion. Site preparation work began in January 2026. The NDP's targeted completion date is September 2031. The tunnel would be toll-free.

The NDP cancelled the original bridge project shortly after forming government in 2017, citing concerns about cost, the lack of a rapid transit component, and the project's design. The replacement tunnel was chosen after several years of study.

## What a voter can do

Voting day is October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs from October 16 to 21. Visit [Elections BC](/bc/provincial-2026) to find your voting place and check your registration before the start of advance voting on Friday.

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