Traffic guide
George Massey Tunnel
The George Massey Tunnel carries Highway 99 under the Fraser River between Richmond and Delta, just north of Ladner Village. It has four lanes in two tubes, and on weekdays one lane is turned around to follow the rush: towards Richmond in the morning, back towards Delta in the afternoon.
Please note: LadnerBC.com is a privately owned local guide with no affiliation with the Province of BC or DriveBC, which run the tunnel and report on it. Traffic and the counterflow times change, so this page links to the Province for both.
Traffic, cameras and counterflow
What and where the tunnel is
The tunnel runs under the South Arm of the Fraser River, from Lulu Island in Richmond to Deas Island in Delta. It's about 630 metres long. It was built from six concrete sections made in a dry dock, then joined, sealed and sunk into place, and when it opened it was North America's first immersed traffic tunnel built of rectangular reinforced concrete.
Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it in 1959 as the Deas Island Tunnel. It was later renamed for George Massey, a Ladner resident who had pushed for a tunnel at this spot for twenty years. Deas Island takes its name from John Sullivan Deas, a Black tinsmith who helped establish the salmon-canning industry on the Fraser.
The Province owns and runs the tunnel. There's no toll; the original one came off in 1964.
How counterflow works
The tunnel has two tubes with two lanes each. Off-peak, the east tube carries both northbound lanes and the west tube both southbound ones.
At rush hour, one lane is reversed so the busy direction gets three lanes and the other gets one. On weekday mornings the extra lane runs northbound, towards Richmond and Vancouver. On weekday afternoons it runs southbound, towards Ladner, Tsawwassen and the border. The switch is made with overhead lane-control signals, and operators watch the tunnel all day and night, adjusting the lanes for traffic, visibility and weather.
There's no barrier between the reversed lane and oncoming traffic, so the overhead signals are what tell you which way each lane is running. And while counterflow is on, traffic going the other way is down to a single lane through the tunnel.
The Province publishes approximate weekday counterflow times on its counterflow page, with a separate set for the summer months. It says the schedule can change with traffic. It lists no weekend counterflow for the tunnel, and it doesn't say what happens on a weekday holiday.
Counterflow has run here since 1982.
Checking traffic before you go
DriveBC is the Province's live source for closures, incidents and roadwork on Highway 99, including the tunnel and the Deas Slough Bridge just south of it.
DriveBC also runs a group of highway cameras on Highway 99 around the tunnel, from the Blundell Road overpass in Richmond to the Highway 17A interchange in Delta. On most of them, DriveBC notes, the view can change for a while when operators are monitoring incidents and traffic flow.
Other ways across the river
The Alex Fraser Bridge carries Highway 91 over the same arm of the Fraser, east of the tunnel, from North Delta to Annacis Island. The Province treats the two as one system, since most trips across this stretch of the river can use either. DriveBC covers the bridge too.
The bridge has seven lanes and its own counterflow. On weekday mornings four lanes run northbound; the rest of the time, weekends and holidays included, four run southbound. Unlike the tunnel's, its counterflow lane has a moveable barrier, shifted by a "zipper truck", between the two directions. The bridge's times are on the same counterflow page as the tunnel's.
Walking, cycling and transit
You can't walk or cycle through the tunnel. Cyclists cross on a shuttle the Province runs between Richmond and Delta, and the shuttle page has the pick-up points and the current schedule, which changes with the seasons. It takes e-bikes with conditions, which the page lists.
The buses through the tunnel carry bikes too: every TransLink bus has a rack on the front for two. The shuttle page speaks only to cyclists, so on foot, take the bus. TransLink's Trip Planner gives you the trip from wherever you're starting. Between Ladner Trunk Road and Highway 17A, buses have shoulder lanes of their own on Highway 99, so they skip that part of the queue.
What's replacing it
The Province is building an eight-lane, toll-free tunnel about 40 metres upstream, with lanes for buses and a path for walking and cycling, and the old tunnel stays open until it's ready. Our replacement guide covers what's being built, and the project's own site has the timeline.
Questions and answers
When is counterflow in the Massey Tunnel?
At the weekday rush hours: mornings in the northbound direction, towards Richmond, and afternoons southbound, towards Delta. The Province posts approximate times, with a different set in summer, on its counterflow page.
Is there counterflow in the Massey Tunnel on weekends?
The Province lists counterflow at the tunnel for weekdays only.
Where can I see the Massey Tunnel cameras?
On DriveBC, which has cameras on Highway 99 on both sides of the tunnel.
Is the Massey Tunnel closed?
DriveBC has current closures and planned roadwork on Highway 99, including the tunnel.
Can you walk or bike through the Massey Tunnel?
No. Cyclists use the Province's shuttle, and TransLink buses through the tunnel each carry two bikes on a front rack.
Is there a toll on the Massey Tunnel?
No. The tunnel's toll ended in 1964, and the Province says the replacement will be toll-free too.
How long is the George Massey Tunnel?
About 630 metres.
When did the Massey Tunnel open?
In 1959, as the Deas Island Tunnel. It was later renamed for George Massey, a Ladner resident who campaigned for it.
What is replacing the Massey Tunnel?
An eight-lane immersed-tube tunnel, the Fraser River Tunnel, about 40 metres upstream of the old one. Our replacement guide has the details.