Ground was broken this month on the five-lane Steveston interchange in Richmond, near Vancouver on Canada’s west coast.
The Steveston project is part of the overall Highway 99 Tunnel Programme that will replace the aging George Massey Tunnel with a toll-free, eight-lane immersed tube structure under the Fraser River.
Work this summer on the interchange involves clearing and utility relocations for major construction to begin by the end of year. The new interchange expected to be in operation in 2025. The Steveston interchange will help move people and goods faster and safer by replacing the existing two-lane overpass at Steveston Highway and Highway 99 with a five-lane structure that accommodates two eastbound lanes and three westbound lanes, including a left-turn lane.
The new interchange will improve access to transit stops and provide safe pedestrian and cycling connections across Highway 99, with sidewalks and separated bike lanes on both sides of the overpass.
The existing tunnel was opened in 1959 as a vehicle-only crossing but it now fails to meet the region’s needs or modern seismic standards, according to the provincial British Columbia government. Highway sections at both ends of the tunnel require upgrades to improve safety and traffic flow for vehicles, transit users, pedestrians and cyclists.
Earlier this year, COWI won the contract to act as owner's engineer for the replacement tunnel. Cowi said it will draw on its experience designing the original four-lane George Massey tunnel in 1959 and whose removal the engineering firm will oversee.
To learn more about the Highway 99 tunnel project, click here.
