Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel Construction
byMetro Vancouver has begun construction on the Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel, a major project that will replace an aging piece of infrastructure and help maintain the regional district’s ability to reliably provide high-quality drinking water.
Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel Construction
To meet the growing demand for drinking water in the region the Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel, deep under Stanley Park, will replace an existing water main that was built in the 1930s and is at the end of its service life.
Metro Vancouver is planning to tunnel deep underground to build a new water main and two valve chambers. The valve chambers will house underground pipe and valves to control the flow of water through the mains in the area. The new main and valve chambers will then be connected to the existing water distribution system.
To excavate the tunnel, install the water main and build the valve chambers, three shafts will be constructed in Stanley Park. The shaft locations, along with the tunnel alignment and construction process, were carefully selected based on rigorous geotechnical, environmental, archaeological, technological and traffic studies. At all three shaft sites, the construction areas will be restored to equal or better condition.
- Burrard Shaft (near the Seawall, at the inlet)
- At the Burrard Inlet shaft site, the new main will connect to existing infrastructure that brings treated drinking water from the North Shore mountains under Burrard Inlet to a connection in Stanley Park.
- Centre Shaft (off Pipeline Road, across from the railway parking lot)
- The centre shaft site will be the main construction area for the project and will include the construction of a shaft that will be used to excavate the tunnel and remove excavated material. No permanent infrastructure will be installed at this site. Tunnelling will start at the centre shaft and work its way outwards towards the other two shaft sites. All the bedrock will be removed through the centre shaft, reducing impacts at the other two shaft sites.
- Chilco Shaft (near Lost Lagoon, at Chilco/Alberni)
- The Chilco Street shaft site will include the construction of a shaft, as well as chambers that will house underground pipes and valves to control the flow of the water supply, along with a backup power building. To reduce the construction footprint, the old valve chambers that are currently situated on the site will be removed and a new shaft and valve chamber will be constructed in the same area. The site will not be used to excavate the tunnel, which will help reduce construction impacts on the neighbourhood and keep the construction area relatively small.
The first six months of construction will see the three main sites fenced and cleared, and site offices will be built. At the centre shaft site, an abandoned building will be demolished and the yard entrance moved. At the Chilco shaft site, temporary pedestrian and cyclist paths will be installed to ensure park users can continue to use the area during construction, and a new accessible ramp will provide uninterrupted access to the community garden.
The project is estimated to be completed in 2029, and at that time the new tunnel will meet current seismic standards, help ensure the continued reliable delivery of high-quality drinking water to the cities of Vancouver and Richmond, and increase the capacity of the existing system for the region’s growing population.
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