On September 20, 2013, Premier Clark announced that construction on a new bridge to replace the tunnel will begin in 2017. On December 16, 2015, British Columbia Transportation Minister Todd Stone announced detailed plans to spend $3.5 billion on a bridge and interchange improvements to replace the tunnel. In July 2016 the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) started an environmental assessment of the project and on February 9, 2017 the replacement received environment approval from the B.C. Ministry of Environment. Preliminary work went out for tender in January 2017 to start the process of improving ground conditions for the future widening of the project area.