Port Project Moves Forward

They tendered another multi million dollar contract at the Prince Rupert Port Authority today, the second big tender awarded to build the new Container Port at Fairview.

The builders of the inland portion of the project were announced today as BA Blacktop Ltd. And Pennecon Ltd. Joint Venture were awarded a $41.4 million contract to handle the prep work on the container yard, including the rail yard lands and the huge cranes that will lift the containers to and from the huge ships when they arrive.

The initial phase of that work gets underway in May, but that is more of a planning phase examining the site and setting up the specifics for construction. The actual digging, paving and reconfiguring will get underway in June.

It’s another step forward for the container project which when completed will definitely change the face of the Prince Rupert waterfront area, not to mention the dynamic of the city as a whole.

The Daily News had a front page article on the story today, for those Podunkian researchers short of the necessary 60 cents; we’ll save you a trip to the library with a reprint below.

HUGE NEW CONTRACT MOVES PORT FORWARD
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Pages One and Three

The Prince Rupert Port Authority has awarded the second major contract to build the new Fairview Container Terminal.

With the wharf extension already underway, the port awarded a $41.4 million contract – to build the inland portion of the terminal – to BA Blacktop Ltd. And Pennecon Ltd. Joint Venture.

This is the single largest contract for Phase 1 of the Fairview Container Terminal Project.

“This contract is a significant move forward for the project and ensures we stay on target to begin moving containers through the new terminal in Fall 2007,” said Don Krusel, president and CEO of the Port Authority.

“This also represents the cornerstone of a true intermodal gateway to support the seamless movement of containers between rail and vessel that will become the trademark of Prince Rupert Port’s world-class container terminal.”

The work, including preparing the site, replacing pavement and reconstructing the current facility to accommodate a container yard, rail trackage and gantry-moving cranes, is expected to start in May with a completion date of July 2007.

Barry Bartlett, manager of corporate communications at the port, explained the work already underway on the dock extension and the new work on the storage/rail yard can occur at the same time because the materials for the wharf extension are being brought in by barge.

This leaves the terminal yard free for construction.

BA Blacktop Ltd. and Pennecon Ltd. Joint Venture will spend the month of May working out the construction specifics, with actual construction expected to begin some time in June.

“We are not going to see a huge amount of activity for the first month,” said Bartlett.

The new facility will have to hold a lot more weight than the original terminal.

Built in 1960, Fairview was designed to accept lumber and pulp shipments, which were stacked up on pallets and loaded on to ships by forklift.

Port Engineer Mike Graham said the new terminal will have double the weight carrying load of 1,000 /b/ft2; a storage capacity of nearly 10,000 stacked containers, 17,000 feet of rail track; and three rail mounted Super Post Panamax cranes, each capable of lifting 66 tonne containers.

The cranes, which are taller than the Highliner Inn and very heavy, will not only move along rails on the wharf front to unload ships but also on rails in the yard to load containers onto trains.

Phase one of the Fairview Container Terminal will be able to handle 500,000 containers a year, with 98 per cent moving from ship to rail, virtually eliminating truck traffic.

BC Blacktop Ltd. is a North Vancouver based general contractor specializing in asphalt paving, milling, reclamation services and major transportation projects, including the Delta Port Container Terminal.

Pennecon Ltd., one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest integrated construction, engineering and industrial services groups, specializes in heavy civil construction projects.

The Port Authority has also awarded a $3.5 million electrical equipment supply contract to Edmonton-based Babco Electric Group Inc. to engineer, manufacture and install an integrated electrical system for the cranes, including new 69 kV transformers to power the new container port.
Contracts awarded to date to complete Phase 1 of the container terminal project now total nearly $82 million. The remaining contracts will be for the buildings in the new terminal.

The port is closer to Asia than any other port in North America and provides the shortest sea/land route between Asian and the North American industrial heartland.