Posted on March 7, 2019
The Halifax Port Authority says discussions are underway with port authority tenants and CN Rail on how to better use the port’s existing assets and infrastructure.
“With partners, the Halifax Port Authority has submitted an application for funding through the National Trade Corridors Fund in the most recent round. We are preparing for additional community consultation as well,” the federal crown agency noted in a release Tuesday.
The first phase of extension work on the south end container terminal, better known locally as Halterm, is well underway, according to the port authority.
The first phase involves dredging of “soft material,” on the bottom of the harbour which has accumulated over time. That part of the project is more than 50 per cent complete, according to the authority, and the next phase, construction of concrete caissons, will begin soon.
A caisson is a watertight retaining structure, which will be used to work on the foundation for the extended container terminal.
The construction of the caissons will take place at Richmond Terminals in the north end of the harbour, according to the port authority release, and when completed they will be barged to the area beyond the existing south end terminal where they will be located to allow for the extended terminal to be built.
“As the south end container terminal extension moves forward, the Halifax Authority continues to seek a solution that will reduce port-related traffic in downtown Halifax,” the authority stated in tis release.
The purpose of the extension is to ensure the Port of Halifax will be able to berth and service two of the ultra-class vessels, which are more than 350 metres in length, and are now serving trade routes along the east coast of North America, the authority wrote in its update on how the expansion is going.
Future cargo growth through Halifax will be rail-based, connecting inland markets to Europe and Southeast Asia through our international Ultra-Class vessel gateway, it stated.
An updated project time line may be found at portcityhfx.ca.
Source: thechronicleherald.ca
