Canada’s Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced $17.7 million in the Port of Hamilton from the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF). The investment will be matched by the Hamilton Port Authority (HPA), in support of the port’s $35.45 million Westport Modernization Project.
The project includes the efficient use of port lands while it will also try to create new employment land development parcels. In addition, perimeter areas will add landscaping to improve the port-city interface.
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Namely, HPA plans to create a multi-modal transportation hub for Westport. Today, not all areas of the Westport zone are accessible by rail from other areas of the port.
The improvements will also address the challenge that the port has been experiencing in recent years of not having enough development-ready parcels of land to meet the demand from port users. HPA will attempt to leverage the investments into $80-90 million in new business attraction.
Specifically, the plan includes four major elements:
- Marine infrastructure: New dockwall at Pier 12, one of the Port’s busiest piers;
- Rail infrastructure: Upgrades to the existing Westport rail network to provide more cargo handling capacity, and rail service to more individual development parcels. Better rail connectivity will offer all of the tenants at Westport direct access to more than one Class-1 rail provider;
- Roadways and utilities: Improved internal roadways and enhancements to a new container positioning depot will facilitate the internal movement of truck traffic on-port. Utilities and servicing will make Westport a fully networked industrial zone, and development-ready;
- Storage capacity: Grading and paving of cargo laydown areas. New warehouse building for multi-user storage.
The initial project investments will begin during 2018 and will be completed in December 2020.
The plan also includes $35.45 million in transportation and port infrastructure.
