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Rupert Port Project Moving Full Speed Ahead

By 250 News

Prince Rupert Port area ( photo courtesy Prince Rupert Port Authority)

With the initial operations date of October of 2007, the months are speeding by quickly for those involved in the construction of the Prince Rupert Port. “When you start counting the months to go, you realize there are not a lot of them left” says Don Krusel, the President and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority.

Krusel says it won’t be long before the contract will be awarded for the Terminal Services part of construction. “That is the land side of the wharf and will involve resurfacing about 50 acres and the installation of rail lines and inter-modal yards” says Krusel. He expects that tender will be awarded soon.

Construction on that part of the project could start before the end of May.

Meantime, the wharf project continues as the wharf is extended some 400 meters into deeper water. There are some structural engineering issues to be addressed says Krusel, as each one of the container cranes weighs 18 hundred tons, and there has to be support to handle 6 cranes at one time.

Then the focus will turn to the construction of the maintenance building, administration building and Canada Customs facilities. The last project will see the upgrading of the electrical services.

The construction has lifted the spirits in Rupert says Krusel “There’s activity, construction and noise, after so many years of Prince Rupert being in an economic slump, there is a general optimism and a bright future.

He admits there are concerns about the recent land claim issues raised by local First Nations “Clearly the issue has put a dark cloud over the project, but unless some court orders us to stop, we will proceed. We are confident that through our consultation process this matter shouldn’t find its way into the courts.”

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