Prince Rupert Port terminal upgrade approved

Prince Rupert Port terminal upgrade approved    Following an environmental review, the Canadian government has approved the C$160 million ($139 million) conversion of the Fairview Terminal at Prince Rupert Port into a facility able to handle the largest containerships.
   The terminal is expected to be operational in the third quarter of 2007 and have an annual capacity of 500,000 TEUs. Future plans could see the terminal reach an annual capacity of 2 million TEUs.
   A joint venture partnership of Fraser River Pile & Dredge and Western Industrial Contractors has been selected to construct a new 400-meter-long (1,312 feet) berth that will extend 20 meters (66 feet) into the channel to a minimum water depth of 17 meters (56 feet). The new wharf and upgrades to the existing substructure will support the installation of three super post-Panamax container cranes.
   The Canadian National Railway Co., along with the government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, are all investing C$30 million ($26 million) towards the project, while Maher Terminals will be investing up to C$60 million ($52 million) in terminal operating equipment.
   CN’s investment includes C$15 million ($13 million) for an intermodal yard at the port; C$10 million ($9 million) for terminal trackage; and C$5 million ($4 million) for infrastructure improvements to its B.C. North Line so that it can accommodate double-stack container trains.
   “CN is pleased that the Prince Rupert Port Authority has announced it is proceeding with the first major component of construction to make the port authority’s intermodal terminal a reality. This is good news for shippers, who will gain from the terminal a new North American gateway for goods moving between Asia and the principal markets of Canada and the United States,” said E. Hunter Harrison, president and chief executive officer of CN.