Montreal port begins structural work on Pie-IX rail bridge project

The Port of Montreal recently began structural work on its CA$42.41 million Pie-IX rail bridge rehabilitation project.

Spanning Pie-IX Boulevard north of the Port Road, the bridge is a core part of the port's rail network. The three-track structure is under heavy strain to accommodate growing rail transportation needs, and requires major work on its foundations and decks, port officials said in a press release.

The project calls for restoring the aging infrastructure, adding a fourth track to create a rail line that's 656 feet long, and constructing three rail storage tracks for the Lantic Sugar refinery. The three storage lanes will make it possible for Lantic to increase its sugar-car storage capacity and boost production to meet demand from companies in Quebec and Ontario, port officials said.

Lantic has a CA$200 million investment plan to increase its annual refining capacity by about 88,000 tons.

The project is being partially funded with a CA$16.75 million federal investment through the National Trade Corridors Fund.

Work crews are building retaining walls, installing caisson piles, reinforcing existing abutments and installing anchors. When that work is completed, crews then will install the new rail tracks on the Lantic site. 

Structural work is expected to be completed in 2025, with commissioning of the new rail bridge scheduled in autumn, port officials said. 

The port is served by several railroads, including CN, Canadian Pacific Kansas City and the Port of Montreal Railway.