Prince Rupert Port Authority marks end of corridor construction

The Prince Rupert Port Authority in British Columbia yesterday announced the completion of the port's $97 million road, rail and utility corridor project, which authority officials say will lead to new terminal development and market access for Canadian exporters.

A ceremony to mark the project's conclusion was held yesterday on the Ridley Island industrial site, where the project's last rail spike was driven. The governments of Canada and British Columbia each contributed $15 million, CN provided $30 million, Canpotex allocated $15 million and the authority covered the remaining funding for the project. All monetary figures are in Canadian dollars.

The corridor was constructed over the past two years and supports multiple new large-scale terminal developments that officials anticipate will boost Canada's trade capacity with Asia-Pacific markets, authority officials said in a press release.

The project involved the construction of five parallel railroad tracks, a two-lane roadway and a port-owned power distribution system along a five-mile corridor.