Montreal's $2.3B Contrecœur Port Expansion Begins In-Water Construction
The Montreal Port Authority has launched in-water construction at its $2.3 billion Contrecœur Expansion Project, marking the start of major marine works after nearly a year of site prep, Daily Commercial News reports.
Market Impact
The new phase covers construction of a working jetty and the terminal wharf and its marine infrastructure, following preparatory work carried out since fall 2025. Crews have already delivered more than 250,000 tonnes of stone from local quarries to build the jetty and the fill needed for the future wharf, with several thousand more tonnes still to come. Sheet pile delivery is complete, and steel casing piles manufactured in Saint-Félix-de-Kingsey began arriving on site August 17. Wharf construction, using a combined wall of steel casing piles and sheet piles, is set to start this fall, with dredging scheduled for 2027.
Aecon and Pomerleau, partners in the Contrecœur Terminal Constructors General Partnership, are leading the work. The jetty will give crews and heavy equipment, including a 300-tonne-capacity crane, access to the build zone. The terminal is designed to handle 1.15 million TEUs by 2030 and is projected to support more than 10,000 jobs annually at full capacity. The project includes two berths, a container handling area, an intermodal rail yard, and a truck gate. The Port 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. Next steps include finalizing the terminal design and the construction and operating agreement with DP World Canada.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Marine and heavy-civil trades should watch for wharf construction bids tied to the combined wall installation (steel casing piles and sheet piles) starting this fall, and dredging subcontracts ahead of the 2027 start date.
- Steel casing pile fabrication is already underway in Saint-Félix-de-Kingsey, Quebec, signaling near-term demand for steel supply, transport, and pile-driving crews along the St. Lawrence corridor.
- Quarry and aggregate haulers have an active opportunity: over 250,000 tonnes of stone have moved to the site so far, with “several thousand additional tonnes” still needed, meaning trucking and materials contracts remain open.
- Crane operators and riggers with heavy-lift capacity (300-tonne class) should track equipment mobilization needs as jetty-based wharf component installation ramps up.
- Environmental and remediation contractors may find work through the ongoing aquatic vegetation and wetland compensation measures, separate from the completed forest habitat reforestation plan.
- General contractors and EPC teams should monitor the pending construction and operating agreement between the Port and DP World Canada, which will shape how remaining terminal-design and buildout packages get released.
- With full terminal operation targeted for 2030 and a $1.16 billion Canada Infrastructure Bank loan already in place, funding for this phase appears secured, reducing payment-risk concerns for subs bidding into 2026-2027 work packages.
