Massey Tunnel replacement: 2 new crossing options on the table

The north end of the George Massey Tunnel is seen in a CTV News file image.

Victoria — The British Columbia government says it has received a business case outlining two options to replace the 61-year-old George Massey Tunnel in Metro Vancouver.

The 629-metre, four-lane crossing beneath the Fraser River is a daily traffic bottleneck, and the province says it will now decide on whether to build an eight-lane bridge or an eight-lane tunnel.

The Liberals announced during the 2013 election campaign that it would replace the aging tunnel, but the NDP cancelled the former government's 10-lane bridge proposal shortly after taking office in 2017.

Dispute over the tunnel simmered again briefly during this year's election campaign as the Liberals vowed to ditch the eight-lane proposal and immediately start construction of a 10-lane bridge.

The government says in a release that it will review the business case before making its decision, but it did not say when that could happen.

The Transportation Ministry says it has worked with the regional mayors' task force, Indigenous groups, TransLink and local municipalities to develop and evaluate options for the crossing.