Metro Vancouver has set a mid-November start date for construction on the Stanley Park water supply tunnel, a major infrastructure project designed to replace an ageing water main built in the 1930s in Canada.
The new 1.4km-long tunnel will be constructed deep beneath Stanley Park. It is expected to help maintain the district’s capacity to deliver reliable, high-quality drinking water to nearly 2.8 million residents.
The tunnel will feature two new valve chambers to control water flow through the mains in the area.
Three vertical shafts will be dug at key locations in Stanley Park to facilitate the tunnel’s construction, enable installation of the water main, and build the valve chambers. One shaft will be near Burrard Inlet, another in a central service yard within the park, and a third at Chilco Street.
According to Metro Vancouver, each of the shaft’s location and the tunnel’s alignment were selected after comprehensive geotechnical, environmental, archaeological, technological, and traffic studies to minimise impact on the park.
In the initial six months of construction, the main sites will be fenced and cleared, with site offices established. At the central shaft site, an abandoned building will be demolished, and the yard entrance will be relocated.
At the Chilco site, temporary pedestrian and cyclist paths will be introduced to maintain access for park users, and a new accessible ramp will ensure uninterrupted access to the community garden.
All construction areas will be fully restored to equal, or even better, condition upon project completion, said Metro Vancouver.
Metro Vancouver board of directors chair Mike Hurley said: “The new Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel will replace a water main that was built in the 1930s and is nearing the end of its service life, so it’s extremely important that we make this upgrade.
“This work is also part of Metro Vancouver’s push to ensure our drinking water infrastructure can better withstand strong earthquakes and accommodate future population growth.”
The Stanley Park water supply tunnel is expected to meet current seismic standards, enhance the system’s capacity, and secure a stable water supply for the growing populations in Vancouver and Richmond.
Construction is projected to continue through 2029. The tunnel is expected to play a crucial role in Metro Vancouver’s water supply network, which includes dams, treatment facilities, reservoirs, pump stations, and mains.
