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       B.C. Minister of Education Rob Fleming speaks during a press conference in Victoria on June 2, 2020.

       CHAD HIPOLITO/The Canadian Press

       An eight-lane tunnel under the Fraser River will replace an obsolete crossing that has frustrated Metro Vancouver drivers for decades.

       The B.C. government announced the new tunnel connecting the cities of Delta and Richmond on Highway 99 will cost $4.15 billion, with a completion date of 2030.

       Transportation Minister Rob Fleming says the replacement for the George Massey Tunnel will improve traffic flow and make travel easier for those taking transit, cycling or walking.

       Two of the eight lanes will be dedicated to transit and there will be separated pathways for cyclists and pedestrians.

       The province says the tunnel option was chosen instead of an eight-lane bridge because it was endorsed by the regional district, causes the least harm to the surrounding area, including the river, and allows for work to start right away.

       Former premier Christy Clark promised a 10-lane bridge during the 2013 election but the work was put on hold when the NDP took power in 2017.

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