The outgoing British Columbia government continues active pre-construction work on the $8.4 billion George Massey Tunnel replacement despite the incoming Conservative administration’s explicit promise to scrap the project, as reported by the Richmond News.
More than 200 workers are currently on-site clearing land and moving equipment for the underwater transit project under the Fraser River. Premier David Eby’s administration maintains these operations during the transition window following the October 24 election loss, leading up to the official transfer of power to the BC Conservatives on November 20.
The Cost of Transition Operations
Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson addressed the ongoing expenditures during a Thursday media appearance, expressing frustration over the potential waste of public funds. While noting he cannot yet issue direct orders to halt the workforce since his administration has not been sworn in, Doerkson confirmed that reviewing the crossing remains a primary priority for his incoming cabinet.
I'm at the Massey Tunnel site with the workers building our new toll-free tunnel. The BC Conservatives would cancel it and send them home. We're going to finish it. Join me live: https://t.co/W49upYvL1o
Estimates place the daily preparatory costs at roughly $1 million per day. If verified, that rate translates to $27 million spent between election day and the scheduled November 20 swearing-in ceremony alone. Additional expenditures incurred during the 32-day election campaign push the total potential financial drain closer to $60 million on a project targeted for cancellation.
Evaluating the Bridge Alternative
The BC Conservatives campaigned on terminating the tunnel replacement initiative in favor of resurrecting a previous proposal for a 10-lane bridge. Doerkson indicated that the alternative crossing could potentially be constructed within the same five-year timeline as the tunnel project while reducing overall capital costs to $6 billion.
.jpg.webp?h=f51c94d4&itok=TxmqOMNY "Fraser river tunnel project")
Questions regarding the exact daily expenditure figures remain open. Doerkson acknowledged that while various cost estimates circulate through media reports, his team lacks formal confirmation of those precise accounting figures prior to taking office.
Precedents for Transition Halts
Political precedent exists for incoming B.C. leaders to intervene in major infrastructure contracts prior to taking office. On May 30, 2017, then-NDP leader John Horgan wrote to BC Hydro CEO Jessica McDonald following a power-sharing agreement with the BC Greens, requesting a temporary freeze on new contracts that lacked penalty-free cancellation clauses for the Site C project.
“We urge BC Hydro not to finalize contracts that do not contain a penalty-free cancellation clause until a new government has gained the confidence of the legislature to govern and decide future policy regarding the Site C project,” Horgan wrote in 2017.
That directive successfully paused high-liability decisions nearly a month before Horgan’s administration defeated the governing Liberals on a confidence motion and months before his official swearing-in. Political analysts point to that historical example as a mechanism available to current leaders to prevent millions in disputed expenditures.
Eby retains full cabinet authority to act until November 20, leaving open the option of coordinating with Doerkson to pause pre-construction activities until the incoming government assumes operational control.
