The Port of Montréal will inject $132 million in infrastructure enhancements to accommodate the increase in container goods traffic anticipated with the entry into force of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union, expected in the near future.
This major upgrade of Canada’s second-largest container port has three main components. The first, representing an investment of nearly $83 million, involves building a container terminal that will expand container capacity in one section of the Port by a factor of four, from 150,000 to 600,000 containers a year. By the time work is completed in 2018, the Port’s total capacity will be 2.1 million containers, an increase of over 25%.
The two other components aim to facilitate Port access for trucks and vessels. Initiatives will include deepening berths to accommodate larger vessels carrying larger loads and building new roads to give trucks faster access to the highway system.
“The Port of Montréal has a strategically advantageous location,” said Montreal Port Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Sylvie Vachon in a radio interview with Radio-Canada. “Thanks to its inland location, shipping companies can get their goods closer to their target markets. Fully 40 million consumers are within an 8-hour journey by truck and 110 million are reachable within 36 hours by train.” According to Vachon, optimizing container handling capacity and improving marine and road access will pay big dividends for Port of Montréal clients and partners.
The Port of Montréal is receiving funding of up to $43.7 million from the Canadian government for this project.
The Port of Montréal in brief
- Second-largest container port in Canada and fifth-largest on North America’s east coast
- Connections to over 80 countries
- Ideal gateway to North America, located just eight days away from Europe by ship
- Handles over 30 million tonnes of cargo a year
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