Building a road to a cleaner, more efficient future at the Port of Prince Rupert

The Connector Corridor will reroute container trucks and reduce vehicle emissions.

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May 17, 2021 6:00 a.m. | IMPRESS

Near the main entrance to Prince Rupert’s inner harbour, construction crews are working hard to complete the Fairview-Ridley Connector Corridor, a new five-kilometre Port-owned road and expanded rail route connecting DP World Fairview Container Terminal and key infrastructure on Ridley Island.

Building this innovative piece of Port infrastructure is no simple feat and the Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) has contracted the Coast Tsimshian Northern Contractors Alliance (CTNCA), to construct the road. Tyler Lee is a Field Engineer with CTNCA, who works to ensure the technical integrity of the project is maintained. In his two years working on the Connector Corridor, he has supported multiple aspects of the project, from tracking progress and costs, to managing GPS positioning systems for excavators and dozers and coordinating the supply of materials.

“This project requires immense coordination and sometimes I will encounter obstacles in the field that require me to develop innovative solutions,” said Lee. “I coordinate closely with our environmental subcontractor to ensure, that no matter the challenge, our environmental obligations are met.”

The project must follow strict environmental regulations and conditions, ensuring no fish are harmed, marine mammals are undisturbed, sedimentation in the water is minimized and much more. Construction activity is closely tracked by environmental and archeological monitors, audited by PRPA, and subject to inspections by regulatory authorities, like Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Cutting truck emissions and making public roads safer

Designed to accommodate container truck traffic going to-and-from Fairview Terminal, the Connector road will reroute vehicles away from public roadways and make more efficient use of the Port of Prince Rupert’s limited land resources. The route will integrate with existing infrastructure and proposed development on Ridley Island. By using this new diversion, trucks will travel a much shorter route, reducing the distance by 15-kilometres and in turn cutting vehicle emissions, including greenhouse gases, by 75 percent for each trip. The new rail sidings will minimize the need to bring container trains north into CN’s downtown railyard.

There are roughly 60 people currently working on CTNCA’s construction crew and the environmental consultant’s team to finish the project. The road will be substantially completed in December and is expected to be operational in May 2022, in conjunction with the southern expansion of Fairview Terminal.

“It has been an exciting opportunity providing valuable career experience in a rare project setting,” said Lee. “Being local to Prince Rupert I am proud to be part of this project and look forward to the positive impact its completion will have on the community.”

Learn more about the Port’s environmental sustainability at rupertport.com/sustainability/