A Delta city councillor says he has learned from a federal government source that the cost to replace the Massey Tunnel could reach $11 billion, roughly triple the original estimate. The revelation has raised concerns about the project's future.
Cost Concerns Emerge
Delta Coun. Dylan Kruger stated that a senior federal source informed him the province has requested $4 billion from Ottawa to help cover the escalating costs. If accurate, the total price tag would be nearly three times the initial $4.15 billion budget.
Kruger, who is also a candidate for mayor in 2026, said, “I’ve spoken with a source directly connected with the federal government, who informed me that the latest information on the project is that costs have escalated to over $11 billion and that there’s an active request for funds to the federal government for $4 billion, which is incredible, considering that was previously the entire budget for the project.”
Provincial Response
B.C. Transportation and Transit Minister Mike Farnworth issued a statement Wednesday denying that the government has ever considered an $11 billion budget for the Massey Tunnel replacement. However, he did not refute reports that the province is seeking $4 billion in federal support.
“We’re having good and constructive conversations with the federal government, and they have committed their support for this project,” Farnworth said. “While I have said before that the cost has increased from the original budget, we have not contemplated or discussed an $11-billion budget.”
Project History
The Massey Tunnel replacement has a long and contentious history. In 2012, the B.C. Liberal government under Premier Christy Clark proposed a bridge. The NDP, led by John Horgan, cancelled that plan in 2017 in favor of a new tunnel.
Originally scheduled for completion by 2030 at a cost of $4.15 billion, the province now admits the project will cost more. The government has split construction into multiple phases and is re-tendering the work after firing the original contractor, Cross Fraser Partnership, on Monday due to a failure to reach a final agreement.
The federal government previously offered “hundreds of millions of dollars” for the project, according to former Delta MP Carla Qualtrough. Last March, the province indicated it was seeking Ottawa to cover at least half of the original $4.15 billion cost.
