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Port Mann Main Water Supply Tunnel

Greater Vancouver, British Columbia

Aecon completed construction of a Water Supply Tunnel under the Fraser River which forms part of Greater Vancouver’s water transmission system risk management program.  

Aecon’s partner in the Joint Venture was McNally International Inc. of Hamilton, Ontario. Under the contract, the Joint Venture, in which Aecon was a 40 per cent partner, sunk two shafts and excavated 1,000m of EPB (earth pressure balanced) tunnel with precast segmental lining under the Fraser River from Surrey to Coquitlam, British Columbia.  Work on the project also included the setup of two shaft sites, installation of welded steel pipe lining and construction of two valve chambers.

CLIENT
Metro Vancouver

AWARDED CONTRACT VALUE
$150 million

START DATE
2011

Port Mann Main Water Supply Tunnel Close up

1
KM LENGTH OF TUNNEL

30
METRE DEPTH OF TUNNEL UNDER FRASER RIVER BED

60
METRES DEPTH OF TWO SHAFTS

Metro Vancouver announced in February of 2017 that the water supply tunnel went into service – now delivering clean, safe drinking water to residents south of the Fraser River. The Port Mann connection is one of the key links between Metro Vancouver’s watersheds and the communities south of the Fraser. Replacing this crossing was the first in a series of major water transmission system upgrades throughout the region.

Located more than 30 metres under the Fraser River bed, the new tunnel more than doubles the capacity of the old water main and provides enhanced earthquake and river erosion resiliency to help ensure the continued delivery of drinking water to Metro Vancouver residents.

The water supply tunnel consists of two 60-metre deep shafts – one in Coquitlam and another in Surrey – connected by a one-kilometre-long, 3.5-meter-diametre tunnel housing a 2.1-meter-diametre steel water main. A new valve chamber was built at the top of each shaft to allow the new tunnel to connect with the existing land-based water mains on either side of the river.

Related Project

View of Tunnel Shaft from the bottom

Second Narrows Water Supply Tunnel

Vancouver, British Columbia

Ensuring reliable delivery of drinking water for Metro Vancouver, the project includes construction of seismic standard shafts, one on each side of Burrard Inlet, connected by a 1,100-metre tunnel.

View Project