Construction of the Fairview-Ridley Connector Corridor Reaches Project Milestone

EFFECTIVE APRIL 28, 2020

PRINCE RUPERT, BRITISH COLUMBIA – The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) provided an update today that the Fairview-Ridley Connector Corridor project is now 20 percent complete.

The primarily local construction crews have been on-site since May 2019, when early work began with clearing and grubbing of the quarry sites on South Kaien. Through the fall and winter, much of the work involved blasting and rock processing in advance of marine and land infills, which commenced mid-March.

The 5-kilometer road between DP World’s Fairview Container Terminal and Ridley Island will eliminate container truck traffic through the community of Prince Rupert by a direct Port Authority owned road, as well as providing a platform for two new rail sidings.

The Fairview-Ridley Connector Corridor will facilitate a rerouting of container trucks from local transload and customs facilities directly to Fairview Container Terminal. Due to an increase in local export transload operations, the number of trucks transiting Highway 16 through downtown Prince Rupert has grown on average from 50 to 200 trucks per day.


When complete, the Connector Corridor will reduce the haul distance from Ridley Island to Fairview Terminal from 20 kilometers down to 5 kilometers. By eliminating downtown container truck traffic, the project will achieve improved vehicle and pedestrian safety, ease traffic congestion, reduce wear on provincial and municipal road infrastructure, and drastically reduce greenhouse gas and local air emissions through the more efficient routing.

Additional rail capacity will be developed in the Corridor as intermodal volumes require it, ensuring DP World’s Fairview Terminal and other terminals in the inner harbour have sufficient rail capacity to support their current and expanded operations.

The Fairview-Ridley Connector Corridor is an integral development in the Port of Prince Rupert ecosystem as it improves existing container terminal truck and rail operations. It will also support new logistics infrastructure announced in 2019 such as the Ridley Island Export Logistics Platform and the Metlakatla Import Logistics Park, as well as any future intermodal terminal development.

The $115 million Connector Corridor project received an investment of $15 million from the Asia-Pacific Gateway Initiative in late 2018. It is expected to be complete in Q2 2021. Construction work has been contracted to a local First Nations joint venture, the Coast Tsimshian Northern Contractors Alliance, ensuring local construction employment opportunities in the region.

Advancing projects to ensure the Port of Prince Rupert is prepared for the future is important. Construction of the Connector Corridor has been able to continue with strong health protocols implemented by the Coast Tsimshian Northern Constructors Alliance. The health and well-being of gateway workers, local residents, and Canadians is top priority and PRPA continues to work diligently to maintain safe operations at the Port of Prince Rupert during COVID-19.

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ABOUT THE PRINCE RUPERT PORT AUTHORITY
The Prince Rupert Port Authority manages the Port of Prince Rupert, Canada’s northernmost trade gateway on the west coast. The Port of Prince Rupert anchors one of the fastest and most reliable supply chains between North America and Asia, providing vital infrastructure to support shippers and industries as they move their goods and resources to market. The port handles approximately $50 billion in trade value per year and supports an estimated 3600 direct supply-chain jobs in northern BC, $481 million in annual wages, and $125.5 million in annual government revenue. In 2019, a record 29.9 million tonnes of cargo moved through the Port of Prince Rupert.

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACT:
Monika Cote
Manager, Corporate Communications
Prince Rupert Port Authority
250-627-2550
mcote@rupertport.com