Metro Vancouver | Water Supply Tunnel at Second Narrows

Project status
Amendment issued

On January 7, 2021, a minor amendment, PER No. 17-164-01, was approved by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. The amendment approved work outside of standard construction hours for tunneling and safe haven refrigeration, as well condition No. 50 which relates to refueling and maintenance within 30 metres of a waterbody.

Permit issued

On June 21, 2018, a project permit was issued to Metro Vancouver to construct a 1,100 m (3,610 ft.) long replacement water supply tunnel between two shafts situated on either side of Burrard Inlet. The project is located 400 metres east of the Second Narrows Bridge in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, on lands and waters managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

The project was approved subject to 56 permit conditions Metro Vancouver must meet to ensure the project does not result in significant adverse environmental effects.

About the project

Metro Vancouver proposes to construct a 1,100 m (3,610 ft.) long replacement water supply tunnel between two shafts situated on either side of Burrard Inlet. The new tunnel would be designed to meet current seismic standards. The project is proposed to extend north to south under the Burrard Inlet from the Metro Vancouver works yard in the District of North Vancouver to Second Narrows Park (formerly Montrose Park) in the City of Burnaby. Approximately 700 m (2,297 ft.) of the tunnel is located within the port authority jurisdiction. The tunnel is proposed to be located 30 m beneath the sea floor, approximately 400 m (1,312 ft.) east of the Second Narrows Bridge and constructed using a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). The outer diameter of the tunnel is proposed to be 6.3 m (21 ft.) and the inner diameter 5.8 m (19 ft.).

Contact information

For questions regarding the Project and Environmental Review of the project, or to get in touch with our team, please contact us by email or phone at 604.665.9047.