Micro-tunneling work at the Morice River crossing has wrapped-up, as the Coastal GasLink pipeline inches closer to completion.
That work saw crews bore under the River to push concrete casings into the soil, which will be used to feed piping through in the next phase.
Due to subsurface conditions, CGL decided to shorten the tunnel by 28 metres to begin construction of the exit point.
Deemed the safest method to cross the river, the micro-tunneling process was selected following extensive consultations with First Nations.
A number of local First Nations-led companies were involved in the work, but the section remains the project’s most contentious.
It has continued to draw opposition from the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs, who say the work harms local salmon, wildlife, and cultural practices.
While CGL has signed agreements with all elected Bands along the route, the Chiefs maintain that jurisdiction lies solely with them.
Once the pipeline is fed through the tunnel this summer, CGL will have officially completed all 10 of the project’s major water crossings.
Location of Morice River crossing on Pipeline Route, courtesy of Coastal GasLink
Graph showing micro-tunneling route, courtesy of Coastal GasLink
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