The province of British Columbia has shortlisted three consortia to design and build a replacement for the George Massey Tunnel on the southern outskirts of Vancouver.

The US$3bn tunnel, first announced in 2021, will be a prefabricated structure – an “immersed tunnel” – placed on the bed of the Fraser River.

The teams in the running are:

• “Cross Fraser Partnership”, led by the Canadian arm of French conglomerate Bouygues, plus Spanish contractor FCC, Quebec-based Pomerleau, consulting engineer Arcadis, and Dutch maritime specialist Boskalis;
• A consortium led jointly by two South Korean companies, Daewoo and GS Engineering and Construction, with Ontario-based engineer Hatch, and Danish consulting engineer Ramboll;
• “Fraser River Tunnel Constructors”, led by Spain’s Acciona with Aecon Construction of Canada, plus US contractor Flatiron, Dutch civil engineer Strukton Immersion Projects, and TEC Tunnel Engineering Consultants, a joint venture between Royal HaskoningDHV and Witteveen + Bos of the Netherlands.

These three teams will now create detailed plans for the 1km-long tunnel. It must be able to accommodate eight lanes for vehicles and two for pedestrians and cyclists.

The winner will also be responsible for a 350m highway bridge for the tunnel’s southern entrance and must also demolish the existing structure, a job that is expected to take around 30 months.

Rob Fleming, the province’s transport minister, commented: “We are moving ahead on delivering improvements for the thousands of people who rely on this crossing each day and for better goods movement across the region.

“Advancing the new tunnel will also increase trade to the US and support a vital link to Vancouver International Airport.”

The government of British Columbia says it expects to name the successful bidder by next spring.