GEORGE MASSEY TUNNEL Replacement Project
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GEORGE MASSEY TUNNEL REPLACEMENT ProJECT CONCEPTUAL HIGHWAY AND INTERCHANGE DESIGN SUMMARY Report MARCH 2014 PREPARED FOR PREPARED BY © GOOGLE EARTH Table of Contents Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................. ii 1. Purpose of Report .................................................................................................................... 1 2. Conceptual Road Design Criteria .............................................................................................. 2 3. Description of the Conceptual Scenarios .................................................................................. 3 3.1 Scenario 1 – Maintain Existing Tunnel ................................................................................ 4 3.2 Scenario 2 – Replace Existing Tunnel with New Bridge ...................................................... 4 3.3 Scenario 3 – Replace Existing Tunnel with New Tunnel ..................................................... 8 3.4 Scenario 4A – Maintain Existing Tunnel and Build New 6‐Lane Bridge along Highway 99 Corridor ......................................................................................................... 10 3.5 Scenario 4B – Maintain Existing Tunnel and Build New 6‐Lane Tunnel along Highway 99 Corridor ......................................................................................................... 12 3.6 Scenario 5 – Maintain Existing Tunnel and Build a New Crossing in a New Corridor ....... 14 4. New Bridge and Tunnel Conceptual Designs .......................................................................... 17 5. Navigational Clearance Considerations .................................................................................. 18 6. Agricultural Land Reserve: Considerations and Potential Impacts .......................................... 20 Tables Table 5‐1 Conceptual Navigational Clearance Envelope Design Criteria – Fraser River (Main Arm) .................................................................................................... 18 Table 6‐1 Estimate of Area of ALR‐Affected Lands, By Scenario ...................................................... 20 Appendixes Appendix A Conceptual Road Design Criteria Appendix B Conceptual Highway Design Drawings Appendix C Mapping Survey of the Study Area, conducted by Accuas Services Inc. in January 2013 (electronic copy) 470805 i REPORT PREPARED FOR BC MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE BY CH2M HILL CANADA LIMITED, 2014 Acronyms Accuas Accuas Services Inc. ALC Agricultural Land Commission ALR Agricultural Land Reserve ALRT advance light rail transit B&T Buckland & Taylor Ltd. BCG Ben C. Gerwick, Inc. CH2M HILL CH2M HILL Canada Limited cm centimetre CN Canadian National Railway Company DVD digital versatile disc EB eastbound ECW Enhanced Compression Wavelet Elev. elevation ELS Extended Length Super GMT George Massey Tunnel GP general purpose ha hectare HOV high‐occupancy vehicle HWL high water level km kilometre km/h kilometre per hour LRT light rail transit LWL low water level m metre MOTI BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure NAD North American Datum NB northbound No. number RFD Rural Freeway Divided ROW right‐of‐way SB southbound UTM Universal Transverse Mercator WB westbound 470805 ii REPORT PREPARED FOR BC MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE BY CH2M HILL CANADA LIMITED, 2014 1. Purpose of Report The British Columbia (BC) Government announced in September 2012 they would immediately begin planning for a replacement of the George Massey Tunnel (GMT) in response to growing concerns about congestion on the approaches to the tunnel and the tunnel’s age and condition. The GMT is a four‐lane, immersed tube tunnel located on Highway 99 and under the Fraser River Main Arm. The tunnel was constructed in the late 1950s and connects the City of Richmond to the north with the Corporation of Delta to the south. The BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) is leading this process to determine the most appropriate solution that will result in Highway 99 continuing to serve as a key component of the regional, provincial and national transportation networks. MOTI commissioned CH2M HILL Canada Limited (CH2M HILL) to prepare conceptual road, highway, and interchange designs for a number of possible improvement scenarios. The purpose of this report is to document the basis for the conceptual designs of those improvement scenarios, the assumptions made, the work completed and resulting findings, and any key actions required for future design development of the concepts. As part of the GMT replacement initiative, MOTI established a Public Consultation Program. Phase 1 of that program was held in November and December 2012, and sought public input on community considerations and travel needs. After Phase 1, five improvement scenarios were identified; these are: Scenario 1: Maintain the existing tunnel. Scenario 2: Replace the existing tunnel with a new bridge. Scenario 3: Replace the existing tunnel with a new tunnel. Scenario 4: Maintain the existing tunnel, and build a new bridge (Scenario 4A) or a new tunnel (Scenario 4B) along the existing Highway 99 corridor. Scenario 5: Maintain the existing tunnel, and build a new crossing in a new corridor. Section 3 of this report describes these scenarios in detail, and Appendix B includes conceptual plan, profile, and cross‐section drawings. Scenarios 2, 3, 4A, and 4B in particular are described and illustrated in detail. No conceptual highway design was required for Scenario 1 and Scenario 5 was developed only as a single‐line concept as a result of feedback during Phase 2 consultation for the Project. 470805 1 REPORT PREPARED FOR BC MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE BY CH2M HILL CANADA LIMITED, 2014 2. Conceptual Road Design Criteria For scenarios involving new highway construction, road design criteria were prepared for Highway 99. The conceptual designs and the design criteria focused on the portion of the Highway 99 corridor from just north of Steveston Highway to just south of Highway 17A (previously named Highway 17). It is recognized that the project Highway 99 corridor improvements may extend beyond these limits; however, within the scope of this study, the conceptual designs were limited to just this area. Full details of the Conceptual Road Design Criteria are provided in Appendix A of this report. 470805 2 REPORT PREPARED FOR BC MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE BY CH2M HILL CANADA LIMITED, 2014 3. Description of the Conceptual Scenarios Several technical improvement scenarios were developed at the conceptual level, based on the feedback received from the Phase 1 public consultation. These scenarios were also based on understanding existing traffic patterns and future traffic needs, structural and geotechnical considerations, and constructability. In addition, the scenarios were aimed at achieving the following draft project objectives: Reduce congestion and travel times for all users. Improve traffic and seismic safety, as well as emergency response capabilities. Improve access to local businesses and gateways. Increase transit ridership, and protect the Highway 99 corridor for the future inclusion of rapid transit. Provide cyclist and pedestrian facilities. Minimize impacts on agricultural, park, and industrial lands. Minimize environmental impacts. Involve communities, businesses, and stakeholders in the project. The initiative to improve or replace the existing tunnel will need to include widening of the Highway 99 corridor, with new or upgraded interchanges for some distance north and south of the Fraser River Main Arm crossing. This section of the report provides a detailed description of the possible improvements for the immediate vicinity of the river crossing, and also a high‐level description of the additional improvements that may be needed further afield. To obtain and reflect current conditions and topography, a mapping survey of the immediate project study area was conducted by Accuas Services Inc. (Accuas) in January 2013. This survey extends along the Highway 99 corridor in an approximate 1 kilometre (km) wide band, from just north of Blundell Road to approximately 1,300 metres (m) south of Highway 17A. Appendix C provides the survey area outline. The mapping survey deliverables are in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), North American Datum (NAD) 83, Zone 10 coordinates, and comprise: A 1 m grid spacing xyz point cloud file with 18 centimetre (cm) accuracy (note that due to the short survey acquisition and delivery schedule, a point cloud format without break lines was chosen). A Civil3D surface model from the point file. 10 cm, high‐resolution colour ortho‐rectified images in Enhanced Compression Wavelet (ECW) format. An electronic copy of these mapping survey deliverables is included in this report on the digital versatile disc (DVD) provided in Appendix C. 470805 3 REPORT PREPARED FOR BC MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE BY CH2M HILL CANADA LIMITED, 2014 SUMMARY REPORT MARCH 2014 3.1 Scenario 1 – Maintain Existing Tunnel 3.1.1 General Description This scenario maintains the existing four‐lane tunnel crossing and provides no increase in traffic capacity at the tunnel. The current counter‐flow traffic operations and queue‐jumper lanes will be maintained. 3.1.2 Key Features Upgrade Tunnel Systems, and Improve Earthquake Protection: Upgrade the existing