MONTREAL – The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) has announced the launch of in-water construction work at the site of its $2.3 billion Contrecœur Expansion Project.
This milestone officially marks the beginning of a major phase of construction and concludes the preparatory work carried out since fall 2025, explains a release.
Both Aecon and Pomerleau, of the Contrecœur Terminal Constructors General Partnership teams, celebrated the announcement.
In April, the first so-called nation-building project, which was fast-tracked for approval by the federal government, announced the official start of work.
This new phase represents a step toward the realization of the future container terminal. It includes the construction of a working jetty as well as the terminal wharf and its marine infrastructure.
The jetty structure will provide crews and heavy equipment, including a crane with a lifting capacity of 300 tonnes, with access to the work zone for the installation of the various components of the wharf.
More than 250,000 tonnes of stone from local quarries have been progressively delivered to the site over the past several months to build the jetty in the river and the fill required for the future wharf, the release describes. Several thousand additional tonnes of stone will be delivered in the coming months.
The delivery of sheet piles, a key component for the wharf, was also completed in recent weeks.
Dredging activities are scheduled to begin in 2027.
Upcoming milestones include the delivery of the steel casing piles currently being manufactured in Saint-Félix-de-Kingsey, beginning today (Aug. 17); and the commencement of wharf construction this fall with the installation of a combined wall composed of steel casing piles and sheet piles.
This new phase follows months of preparatory work that included:
- the installation of construction site fencing;
- development of access roads;
- construction of work platforms;
- targeted tree clearing; and the
- installation of site offices and garages.
At the same time, the implementation of environmental compensation measures related to aquatic vegetation beds and wetlands is ongoing. The forest habitat compensation plan, including reforestation work, has been completed.
The project’s next phases will also include finalizing the terminal design as well as the construction and operating agreement with DP World Canada, the release adds.
Located in an industrial zone, the Contrecœur land reserve was acquired over 30 years ago by the MPA.
It is now developing a new container terminal able to handle 1.15 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) by 2030, when it is expected to be fully operational.
At full capacity, the terminal will generate over 10,000 jobs annually. It will include two berths, a large container handling area, an intermodal rail yard connected to the main network, a truck gate connected to the road network and support facilities.
The Port of Montreal secured a $1.16-billion loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank in April and signed a joint development agreement with terminal operator DP World last September.
