b'34American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comCanadian ports on East Coast pursue infrastructure projectsBy Leo Ryan, AJOTAmid mixed traffic trends, leading ports of Canadas East Coast are continuing to map infrastructure projects toboostmarketpenetration.Toacertainextent,the container gateways of Montreal, Halifax and Saint John arecompetingagainsteachotherwhilealsostriving toremaincompetitiveagainstUSEasternSeaboard portswhichhavesignificantlyincreasedcapacityto accommodate the new generation of large containerships.On the bulk side of the equation, worthy of special mention is the St. Lawrence Port of Sept-Iles, the premier iron ore gateway of North America, which has overtaken Montreal as Canadas 2 ndbusiest port after Vancouver in terms of total cargo.P ort ofm ontrealAt the Port of Montreal, following a 1.8% decline in total cargo last year to 35.3 million metric tons, 2024 has so far shown some growth in dry and general cargo activity but a moderate decrease in container throughput, according to statistics to end-July. For the same period, total traffic was up slightly at 20.7 million tons. All told, in 2023, Montreal handled 1.5 million TEUs, representingThe Cardinal Victory 180,000 DWT bulk carrier calling at the Port of Sept-les to load iron ore.Courtesy ofSept-les Port Authoritya 8.9% drop from 2022.TheMontrealPortAuthorityin2023inaugurated several major projectsnotably the completion of phase 3ofrailcapacityoptimization,commissioningofthe Vickers overpass in the Viau sector, and the Grand QuayH W Y H 2 O . C O Mtower. And earlier this month, the port kicked off structural work on its Pie-IX rail bridge rehabilitation project Butenteringevenmoreintofocustodayisthe momentum on the biggest single infrastructure project intheportshistorytheconstructionofacontainer terminal with annual capacity of 1.15 million TEUs at Contrecoeur, some 25 miles downstream from Montreal on the St. Lawrence River.The project includes the construction of a 675-metre dock for two berths to accommodate vessels of between 39,000 and 75,400 DWT. It also encompasses a seven-track classification yard, a container storage and handling area, an intermodal rail yard, rail and road accesses and a truck control area. With a rail line already in place, CN has teamed up with the Montreal Port Authority to integrate rail transport at the future terminal.Asfarasfinancingisconcerned,thefederal governmenthasallocatedfundingofC$150million which adds to the C$300 million pledged by the Canada Infrastructure Bank and C$130 million from the Quebec government. The object of meticulous planning since the late 1980s, the cost of the expansion project has reportedly ballooned from an initial C$950 million to north of C$1.4 billion due to inflation and other factors.P otentIal2029 s tart - uP ofc ontrecoeurP rojectIn an interview, Paul Bird, MPAs Chief Commercial Officer,outlinedtheseveralmilestonesthatwill beachievedin2024and2025tobringthemassive undertaking to potential start-up of operations by 2029.Building it during a low cycle is the right time to build it, he emphatically stated. What could be perfectW I T HOOUURR N E WAANNDDtimingtobuildinfrastructureisoneofthegreatest questions in the world. And if you want to be just reactive,I M P R O V E DGGAATTEEWWAAYYwell, you waituntil the market is exploding and theI N C E N T I V E ,TTHHEERREE HHAASSinfrastructures will not be ready.Yes, Bird acknowledged, things looked somewhatN E V E RBBEEEENN AA BB E T T E Rstagnant in 2023, but all (long-range) forecasts foresee anE T T E Rannual increase in volume of 3% and possibly higher atT I M ETTOO SSTTAARRTT SHHI P P I N GGS I P P I Nthe Port of Montreal. O NTTHHEE GGRREEAATT LL A K E SUnder such a scenario, Mr. Bird opined that existingA K E Scapacity will not be able to meet demand by 2029. So,W I T HHHWWYY HH OOthe need for this infrastructure more than ever. 2In this connection, things are moving forward under a hybrid approach adopted last October after discussions with bidders did not lead to a result deemed satisfactory by the MPA. In this approach, land-side works (container yard, buildings, public utilities and rail connection) are to be carried out by a private partner. The latter will also be responsible for operating the terminal under a design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) approach.Thein-waterworks(dockconstructionand dredging) will be undertaken by the MPA in a partnership agreement announced this past February with Pomerleau and Aecon. At the end of the procurement process which closes on Q1 2025, we want a fixed cost price. We should have officially a contract signed between the MPA andFor mPomerleau-Aecon to start construction in the spring ofmoorreeiinnffoorrmmaattiioonn::2025, Mr. Bird shared.Onthelandside,Mr.BirdindicatedthatvariousE ail [email protected](PURSUEcontinued on page 36)'