: MARITIME COMMUNITY
WSP: A key partner in Canada’s Pacific maritime community
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ach year, Canada’s Pacific maritime community comes together to show support for seafarers through the Mission to Seafarers’ Cycling for Seafarers fundraising event. While the pandemic moved this year’s program to a more virtual experience, a “physically distanced,” final-day cycle provided participants an occasion to show their support in person. It was during this event that APP’s Executive Director, Jane McIvor, and WSP Canada’s Information Management Specialist, Kirsten Behnka, met and realized an opportunity to provide APP members with an update on the Centerm Expansion Project (CEP) and South Shore Access Project (SSAP) in the Port of Vancouver. The chance meeting also illustrated WSP’s commitment to Canada’s Pacific maritime community.
Background
Initiated in 2015 by DP World Canada and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the Centerm Expansion Project and South Shore Access Project are being built to help meet anticipated near-term demand for containers shipped through the Port of Vancouver. The project will increase throughput at the container terminal in Vancouver Harbour from the current capacity of 900,000 20-foot equivalent unit containers (TEUs) to 1.5 million TEUs. This represents a 60 per cent increase in capacity at the terminal achieved by expanding the existing footprint by 15 per cent. The project is on track to be finished in 2022. The full extent of the project includes: • Expansion at the west and east sides of the terminal and a reconfiguration of the container yard • Modernizing truck gates • Building a new operations facility • Removing the Heatley Avenue overpass The improvements to port roads include extending Waterfront Road to connect it to Centennial Road and building an overpass near Rogers Sugar. This will reduce travel delays for port users and businesses, and port-related traffic on local roads in Downtown Vancouver. Following public, Indigenous and stakeholder consultation and a vigorous permitting process, construction began in mid-2019 with Vancouver Fraser Port Authority being supported by WSP Canada who provided project management support services, in conjunction with AECOM, the Owner’s Engineer and Guidewire being the Environmental Lead.
WSP’s role at Centerm
Behnka, along with Jonathan Stewart, Terminal and Western Expansion Lead, gave an overview of how WSP was working
42 — PACIFIC PORTS — January 2021
...the Centerm Expansion Project and South Shore Access Project are being built to help meet anticipated near-term demand for containers shipped through the Port of Vancouver. with partners to manage the project assignment. “The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority project delivery team, split the project up into three defined areas, the on-terminal reconfiguration; east and west marine expansions; and the land structures which includes the rehabilitation of Ballantyne Pier and the truck gates.” Stewart said, further noting that WSP’s role also extended out to the South Shore Access Kirsten Behnka Project, including both rail, road improvements and an overpass. Overall, for the CEP and SSAP project, WSP’s team includes four field representatives to monitor the design-build construction; a health and safety lead and a supporting coordinator; one quality lead; two document controllers; one design manager; one construction manager for SSAP, and an area lead, responsible for the on Terminal and Western Expansion Works. Behnka provided an additional overview of equipment and system upgrades, highlighting the reconfiguration of rail lines, new cranes, and the work involved in repurposing Ballantyne Building from a vacant cruise ship terminal to a new Operations Faciality for DP World. “The project takes into account the scarcity of industrial land in Vancouver Harbour and, by using only 15 per cent more land, is able to add more than 60 per cent terminal capacity,” Behnka said. Given the extensive and multi-faceted work being undertaken, documentation control and information management has played a critical role in the successful execution of the Project. Acting as the information hub for stakeholders, regulators, and project teams, Behnka described how she and colleague Kassy Jordan log, trace and organize all documents, which to date, has surpassed the thousands. “In addition to ensuring documents are complete and readily available for all partners and stakeholders, we are continually managing deadlines to ensure
