CANADA: In-water construction has begun on the roughly C$2.4 billion Port of Montreal expansion, starting with a temporary work jetty for the future Contrecoeur container terminal.

Riprap stone for the future Contrecoeur container terminal wharf
Riprap stone stored at the Contrecoeur terminal site for future river infill and wharf construction. Illustrative photo. Photo: Montreal Port Authority.

The Montreal Port Authority says in-water work began Aug. 3 with the construction of a temporary work jetty, following months of site preparation dating to fall 2025. The Canadian Design and Construction Report reported on Aug. 14 that more than 250,000 tonnes of stone from local quarries had been delivered for the jetty in the St. Lawrence River. The project is the first referred to the federal government’s Major Projects Office to reach the construction stage.

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How 415 steel sheet piles reached Contrecoeur

The project reached another milestone with the delivery of 415 steel sheet piles, each measuring 23 metres long and 1.6 metres wide and weighing about five tonnes. According to the Canadian Design and Construction Report, the piles were manufactured from 95% recycled steel at an ArcelorMittal plant in Luxembourg. They traveled from the Port of Antwerp to Quebec before being trucked to the Contrecoeur site.

The piles will be driven into the riverbed alongside steel casing piles to form the wharf’s structural face, with a second row creating an anchor wall behind it. The consortium delivering the marine works, Constructeurs Terminal de Contrecoeur Grand Projet, comprises Aecon and Pomerleau. Pomerleau is also building VIA Rail’s new locomotive assembly and maintenance facility in Montreal.

What to watch

The Port of Montreal’s current schedule places wharf construction in August 2026, followed by the start of dredging in fall 2027. Land-side infrastructure, including the intermodal rail yard and its connection to the CN network, is expected to advance from 2027, while the completed terminal is scheduled to enter service in 2030. Watch for the installation of the permanent quay wall and a detailed schedule for the rail and terminal works.

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