The Canadian province of British Columbia has chosen a team led by French contractor Bouygues to design and build a replacement to the George Massey Tunnel, which carries Vancouver’s main southern highway under the Fraser River.

The so-called Cross Fraser Partnership also includes Spanish contractor FCC, Pomerleau of Quebec, and two Dutch companies: consulting engineer Arcadis and marine contractor Boskalis.

The team was chosen from a shortlist that also included a consortium led by South Korea’s Daewoo and GS Engineering, and another headed by Spain’s Acciona and Aecon Construction of Canada.

The new crossing will replace the George Massey Tunnel with a toll-free, eight-lane immersed tube tunnel including three general-purpose travel lanes and a dedicated public transit lane in each direction. There will also be separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists.

The new tunnel will allow cars to travel at 80km/h, rather than 30km/h now.

The province’s transport minister Rob Fleming called the appointment a “huge step” for the US$3bn scheme.

“With this team in place, we can finalise the project design and ready it for construction, helping us improve travel for people moving along Highway 99 between Richmond and Delta,” he said.

The project will now enter the development phase “which allows a transparent and collaborative approach to tunnel design, and agreement on project costs and risks between the province and Cross Fraser Partnership”.