Canadian government invests in Montréal’s port

The news comes as the port handled a record amount of tonnage for the fourth year in a row in 2017.    The Canadian government is dedicating $45.8 million Canadian (U.S. $35.6 million) in funding for road infrastructure adjacent to the port in the City of Montréal to reduce congestion and improve efficiency, Transport Canada said Monday.
   Just last month, Transport Canada announced the federal government was investing C$18.4 million for a project to optimize the port’s rail network capacity, particularly in the port’s interchange zone. “The work is expected to include relocating underground and above-ground infrastructure, relocating and constructing the port’s new road and building new rail lines,” Transport Canada said.
   The Montréal Port Authority and Transport Canada has not provided timeframes for these projects.
   Financial support for these projects is coming from Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF). The funding news comes at a good time, considering 2017 was the fourth year in a row in which the total volume of goods handled at the port rose to a new historic high at 38 million metric tons, according to data from the Montréal Port Authority.
   The port saw year-over-year volumes growth in every cargo sector in 2017, as well as growth on the cruise front.
   Situated on the St. Lawrence River, the port is open year-round and handles containerized and non-containerized cargo, as well as liquid and dry bulk.
   In terms of containerized cargo, BlueWater Reporting’s Port Dashboard tool shows the port is called by seven fully cellular container services that also sail to regions outside North America, with particularly strong connections with Europe.