Pomerleau and Aecon team up on port expansion
By Adam Freill
Commercial Construction InfrastructureThe Montreal Port Authority has engaged Contrecoeur Terminal Constructors General Partnership for the in-water works design of its Contrecœur expansion project.
From left: Thomas Clochard, executive vice-president, Civil & Nuclear, Aecon Group Inc.; Julie Gascon, president and chief executive officer, Montreal Port Authority; and Philippe Adam, president and chief executive officer, Pomerleau. (Photo courtesy of the Montreal Port Authority)
The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) recently announced it has entered into an agreement with Contrecoeur Terminal Constructors General Partnership (CTCGP), formed by firms Pomerleau and Aecon, to assist the MPA in the design of the in-water works for its Contrecœur expansion project. The project will take a progressive design-build (progressive DB) approach.
Last October, the MPA stated that it would be using a hybrid approach for the design and construction of its expansion project. In this approach, land side works will be carried out by a private partner, while in-water works, including dock construction and dredging, will be undertaken by the MPA with partner support.
Under the collaborative DB approach, CTCGP and the MPA will work closely together throughout the project’s development phase to finalize the design and arrive at an estimated schedule and cost for the project works. This approach, says MPA, is being increasingly used for major infrastructure projects and offers advantages in terms of efficiency and coordination, while providing greater predictability and risk management for all parties, particularly in terms of costs and deadlines.
The port authority added that CTCGP was chosen for the expertise and experience of its partners in infrastructure and transportation, as well as in collaborative DB-type approaches.
“We are very pleased to announce this partnership with Pomerleau and Aecon through CTCGP for planning the in-water works for our Contrecœur expansion project. The close working relationship between these two renowned companies, combined with our innovative progressive design-build approach, strengthens our commitment to the efficiency, coordination and success of this future-oriented project,” said Julie Gascon, president and chief executive officer of the MPA. “We look forward to delivering on this ambitious vision for the future of Canada’s supply chains, and better serving our businesses and our community.”
In view of anticipated growth in the container sector, the Port of Montreal is reaching this new milestone in its expansion project where it will build a new container terminal in the municipality of Contrecœur. Connected to major rail lines and highways, this new terminal will eventually represent an additional annual capacity equal to 60 per cent of the containers currently handled in Montreal, to meet the needs of importers, exporters and consumers in Quebec and Eastern Canada.
“We are proud to be a part of the Port of Montreal’s expansion project in Contrecoeur, which will enable the MPA to realize its innovative vision for the country’s shipping industry. We applaud the use of the progressive design-build model, which prioritizes transparency and teamwork between prime contractor and designer and ensures better planning and sound risk management,” said Philippe Adam, president and CEO of Pomerleau. “Together with the MPA team and our partners, we will leverage our know-how and experience in creating world-class port infrastructures.”
“The in-water works are an important component of delivering the new Contrecœur terminal— providing increased capacity to the largest container port in Eastern Canada and supporting continued economic growth in Québec and Canada,” added Jean-Louis Servranckx, president and chief executive officer, at Aecon Group Inc. “We look forward to bringing our experience working under collaborative delivery models and building complex civil infrastructure to deliver this vital project with our client and partner.”
Project design with CTCGP, along with assessment of cost and schedule, will take place over the next 12 months. At the end of this phase, the MPA aims to award the dock construction and dredging project works based on its procurement processes, and will present an updated implementation schedule.
Planning for the land-based works is also taking place currently. By the summer of 2024, the MPA will launch an international request for proposals to select a private partner to build the land side component of the terminal (container yard, buildings, public utilities, and rail connection). This private partner will also operate and maintain the terminal under a DBFOM (design, build, finance, operate and maintain) approach. A schedule for land-based works is also expected to be released once the outcome of the request for proposals is known, again within the next 12 months or so.
Located in an industrial zone, the Contrecœur land reserve was acquired more than 30 years ago by the Montreal Port Authority and has been the focus of careful collaborative planning to support the development of the supply chain in Quebec and Eastern Canada. With the support of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec, the Port of Montreal and its partners plan to develop a new state-of-the-art container terminal able to handle up to 1.15 million containers (TEUs).
The Port of Montreal is the largest container port in Eastern Canada and a diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods: containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. The only container port in Quebec, it is a destination port served by the largest shipping lines in the world. It is also an intermodal hub with a service offering that is unique in North America, featuring its own rail network directly dockside connected to Canada’s two national rail networks. The MPA also operates a Cruise Terminal and a Port Centre.
