A $240 million tunnel under the Fraser River is nearing completion.
Crews are in the final stages of finishing the one-kilometre tunnel, which has vertical shafts 60 metres deep at either end.
The tunnel, 30 metres below the river bed, will carry water from the Coquitlam reservoir to Surrey and other communities south of the Fraser River.
It will double the current tunnel’s capacity, and ensure the water supply will survive an earthquake.
“What it really means is improving the resiliency of our water transmission system,” Murray Gant, lead engineer with Metro Vancouver.
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“It’s very unique…this is the first deep tunnel for Metro Vancouver.”
Construction began in 2011, and the entire project is slated to be finished in the fall of 2016. Officials say it’s built to last more than 100 years.
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