Pile driving will play a significant role in preparatory construction for British Columbia’s Fraser River Tunnel Project, with work planned for retaining walls, temporary marine jetties and a trestle bridge providing construction access to Deas Island. Steel retaining walls will be installed around the Deas Island casting basin, where concrete tunnel elements will be built and stored, as well as at locations in the Fraser River near the existing George Massey Tunnel and along the Richmond shoreline.
Steel piles will also form the foundations for temporary jetties on both sides of the river and a temporary trestle bridge east of the existing Deas Slough Bridge. Construction of the trestle bridge is scheduled to begin in October 2026 and continue into winter 2027. Crews will use a combination of vibratory and impact pile driving. Steel piles will initially be advanced using a vibratory hammer, with additional sections welded on as required. Impact driving will then be used to advance the piles to final depth.
The $8.5-billion Fraser River Tunnel Project will replace the existing George Massey Tunnel with a new eight-lane immersed tube tunnel.