Ontario Construction News staff writer
Construction companies Pomerleau and Aecon are joining forces on a major expansion of the Port of Montreal in Contrecœur, a project billed as critical to Canada’s trade and supply chain.
The consortium, known as Constructeurs Terminal de Contrecœur Grands Projets (CTCGP), will begin work this month on two new berths along the St. Lawrence River. The project, led by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), is expected to be completed in 2029.
When fully operational, the terminal will be able to handle 1.15 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year, representing an additional capacity equal to 60 per cent of the containers currently handled in Montreal.
The $ project will add 675 metres of dock space and include:
- two berths and a container handling area
- an intermodal marshalling yard linked to the main rail network
- a truck gate connected to the road network
- secondary facilities for port activities
Developed on industrial land acquired since the late 1980s, the Contrecœur site is considered strategically located for a modern container terminal. The area is largely surrounded by industrial properties.
The MPA says the expansion underwent a rigorous environmental assessment that resulted in hundreds of conditions and commitments. The project was also shaped by input from diverse stakeholders, including First Nations, and is designed with a stated goal of demonstrating leadership in sustainable development.
The companies are using a collaborative design-build model, a method that supporters say improves cost certainty, transparency and risk management. The marine construction will include dock building and dredging, carried out under environmental regulations.
“The Port of Montreal expansion is a strategic project that will strengthen economic resilience at a critical time for Quebec and Canada, and it is a privilege to be part of it,” Pomerleau president and CEO Philippe Adam said in a statement. “The collaborative model enables highly precise water work through the integration of innovations on this complex project.”
Work will ramp up gradually between now and Oct. 27.
