Dunsmuir Tunnel
| Company type | Infrastructure |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | July 17, 1932 |
| Headquarters | Vancouver , Canada |
The Dunsmuir Tunnel is an underground passage beneath Dunsmuir Street in Vancouver, British Columbia, utilized by the Expo Line of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit network. Situated in the downtown core, this tunnel serves both Burrard and Granville stations. Its western entrance is positioned between Waterfront and Burrard stations, while the eastern entrance is close to Stadium–Chinatown station.
History
Originally constructed by Northern Construction Company to connect Canadian Pacific Railway yards located on Burrard Inlet and False Creek, the tunnel commenced operations on July 17, 1932, with a construction cost of $1.6 million. The tunnel was designed with a height of and was situated at depths varying up to beneath street level. The initial eastern portal, placed further south to facilitate access to the False Creek rail yards, remained visible until approximately 2005 and was subsequently demolished in 2011 to accommodate new development projects. A disused segment of the original tunnel still exists but is no longer employed by the SkyTrain system.
During the early 1980s, BC Transit adapted the tunnel for use within the SkyTrain network created for Expo 86. Because the tunnel's narrow width permitted only a single track but had sufficient vertical clearance, an internal superstructure was installed to position the westbound track above the eastbound track. This arrangement results in split platform layouts at Burrard and Granville stations located inside the tunnel.