A fishing boat arrives in Chatham Sound near Prince Rupert, B.C., on June 22, 2018. The Port of Prince Rupert says container traffic has grown rapidly over the past five years.JONATHAN HAYWARD/The Canadian Press
British Columbia’s most northerly deep-sea port says expansion of its container terminal along with other upgrades will help the West Coast deal with future supply chain challenges.
The Port of Prince Rupert says container traffic has grown rapidly over the past five years and it is working with logistics company DP World Canada on a two-stage expansion of the Fairview Container Terminal to increase its capacity.
The first stage of the project is expected to be completed by midsummer, pushing terminal capacity to 1.6 million standard shipping containers.
A statement from the port says the second stage will boost capacity by a further 200,000 containers by 2024.
A new road for trucks from local loading and customs facilities directly to the expanded terminal is also due for completion within months, which the port says will ease vehicle and rail congestion.
The statement says the upgrades and other improvements will ensure Prince Rupert is an alternative if there are disruptions such as last fall’s severe flooding that cut access between the Interior and Lower Mainland ports.
We have a weekly Western Canada newsletter written by our B.C. and Alberta bureau chiefs, providing a comprehensive package of the news you need to know about the region and its place in the issues facing Canada. Sign up today.