Infrastructure: Prince Rupert

The Prince Rupert Port Authority marked the completion of its Road, Rail & Utility Corridor (RRUC) on May 19. Representatives of the port authority were joined by project funding partners – the Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia, Canpotex and CN – at an event held on the Ridley Island Industrial Site, where the last rail spike of the $90-million project was driven.

Funding included contributions of $15 million each from the federal and British Colombia provincial governments, $30 million from CN Railroad, $15 million from the potash giant Canpotex, and the balance from the port authority.

The RRUC was constructed over a two-year period with the contracted expertise of two local joint ventures. The project includes the construction of five parallel rail tracks, a two-lane roadway and a port-owned power distribution system along an 8-kilometer/5-mile corridor.

This shared-use infrastructure is part of a long-term port development plan for export terminals that will provide the capacity to ship potash, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other Canadian products to international markets.

The Port of Prince Rupert’s development plan is based on a goal of reaching an annual throughput capacity of 100 metric million tons of cargo as proposed terminal developments are completed over the next decade. Much of that forecasted growth is dependent on the introduction of additional infrastructure on Ridley Island to realize its development potential, minimize use conflicts between potential terminal developments, and maximize the industrial footprint of the lands under the port authority’s jurisdiction.

"The success of this project exemplifies what can be accomplished when a strategic, long-term vision is executed by a partnership of public and private investment," said Don Krusel, president and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. "The RRUC will expand the diversity of Prince Rupert’s growing port complex and further link Western Canada to a world of opportunity."