Port of Vancouver, Wash. nears completion of $250m rail project

The Pacific Northwest port is is finishing up the final two segments of the West Vancouver Freight Access project, as well as looking ahead to a revamp of Vancouver’s Terminal 1 facility for public commercial use.    The Port of Vancouver USA in Washington state is nearing completion of its decade-long, $250 million freight rail infrastructure project, dubbed the West Vancouver Freight Access project (WVFA).
   The Pacific Northwest seaport and the project contractors are building the final two contracts for the project and expect it to be fully completed by early 2018, the port said in a statement.
   The WVFA involves improving freight rail movement through the port and along the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad mainlines connecting the region with major rail hubs from Canada down to Mexico.
   The final two contracts to be finished are the Kinder Morgan bulk unloading facility and the grain track unit train improvements.
   The Kinder Morgan bulk unloading facility moves dry bulks from copper to clay. Project improvements will enlarge the facility in a new location and adjoining rail tracks in the old location to facilitate other projects in the WVFA series, said the port.
   The grain track unit train improvements will increase efficiency by building a new lead track from the port’s south entrance and additional load tracks for grain trains, increasing port’s overall rail capacity.
   In addition to the WVFA, the Port of Vancouver USA’s Terminal 1 Waterfront Development master plan was recommended for approval at a hearing earlier this month.
   Vancouver’s Terminal 1 sits on a 10-acre site and is home to the first warehouse built at the port. Terminal 1’s future includes a public marketplace, a new hotel and retail and commercial space.
   The master plan was developed over two years to collect input from port commissioners, stakeholders and the public.
   “Our project team worked very hard to develop a thorough and complete master plan. The result has been a smooth process, and we appreciate the positive affirmation from the City of Vancouver,” said port CEO Julianna Marler. “We look forward to going before City Council in June as we move our vision for Terminal 1 toward reality.”
   The public hearing took place on May 4, where port representative testified on the project. Hearing Examiner Sharon Rice recommended the project to the Vancouver City Council for approval after examining the master plan for regulation compliance.
   The City of Vancouver will hold a public hearing on the master plan at its June 19 City Council meeting, and, if approved by the City Council, construction on a new AC Hotel by Marriot could start in 2018, the port said.