Massey Tunnel: A $57-million step forward in B.C. government's replacement plan

Cars are seen exiting the Massey Tunnel in this undated photo.

Commuters waiting for the plan to replace Metro Vancouver's aging Massey Tunnel got an update Wednesday on the provincial project.

The NDP government said in a news release that nine contracts have been awarded for the work on the Highway 99 program. The contracts are for technical and engineering expertise, the Ministry of Transportation said.

The total value of the contracts is $56.7 million.

The contractors with the biggest contracts are COWI North America Ltd. and R.F. Binnie and Associates Ltd., at $15 million each. For "environmental services," Golder Associates was awarded a contract for about $14.8 million.

"These contracts will support the ministry's work as we move from development to construction," Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said in the release.

His ministry said the next step in the project is an environmental assessment, which will include engagement with Indigenous groups and stakeholders.

The new tunnel, which is expected to be ready in eight years, has the current price tag of $4.15 billion.