Eagle Mountain pipeline now set to be finished in 2027

This story has been amended since first publishing to clarify details regarding the completion date.

It looks like work on the FortisBC Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre Gas Pipeline project may take a little longer than originally anticipated.

Previously scheduled to be finished in 2026, the project – which includes the three-kilometres of gas pipeline northwest of Westwood Plateau – is now set to wrap up in 2027.

The pipeline is set to be finished by 2026 but restoration work could wrap up in 2027.

The entire project involves adding 47 kilometres of gas pipeline from Westwood Plateau to the Woodfibre LNG facility outside Squamish, as well as adding two electric-powered compressor units at the Eagle Mountain Compressor Station, as well as a new substation in Eagle Mountain.

In order to keep the gas flowing through the pipeline, the plan also involves upgrading the Eagle Mountain compressor units from 20,500 horsepower to 26,000 horsepower. A company spokesperson previously predicted the maximum volume of the compressors would rise from 41 to 43 decibels.

The Westwood Plateau portion includes a length of 24-inch pipeline installed alongside the old natural gas pipeline. While the old pipeline is within the Coquitlam River Watershed, the new line is located outside the watershed in order to “minimize environmental impact,” according to a previous release from FortisBC.

FortisBC paid the municipality $3 million toward improving the Coquitlam Crunch Trail as a community benefit “and in recognition that the construction of the EGP project will cause some disturbance within Eagle Mountain Park as well as to nearby residents.”

Disturbances include tree clearing, increased traffic, construction and “generator-related noise,” as well as interruptions to trail access, according to a Coquitlam city staff report from 2023.

Road and trail closures are set to be limited the Eagle Mountain Park area, according to project spokesperson Jessica Skjeveland.