Port Saint John West Side Modernization Project takes next step

Officials say it’s the first visible sign of the massive West Side Modernization Project at the Port of Saint John.

READ MORE: $136 M Port Saint John investment announced by federal, provincial governments

Last week, bore hole testing took place and on Monday, Port Saint John announced the joint venture firm Hatch Dillon had been awarded the $3.5 million design engineering contract for the project.

The companies will also oversee the seven-year construction phase with a completion date for the $205 million project set for 2024.

Port Saint John president and CEO Jim Quinn said there is excitement over the employment opportunities that will exist over the lifetime of the enterprise.

“The economist that looked at our project estimated that over the life of the project there will be a little more than 22 hundred person years of work that will be involved,” Quinn said. “That’s a significant number.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The economist that looked at our project estimated that over the life of the project there will be a little more than 22 hundred person years of work that will be involved," Quinn said. "That's a significant number."

The company overseeing the work also says it plans to hire as many local workers as possible.

“We plan to phase the work to maximize the opportunity for local contractors to participate in the tendering process,” said Geoff Allaby of Dillon Consulting. “That’s something that the port representatives asked us to look at.”

READ MORE: Port of Saint John still waiting for federal funding to be signed, sealed and delivered

The project will see an extension and strengthening of the pier itself and a deepening of the harbour. The number of direct and indirect jobs for longshoremen is expected to double to almost 1,100.

“It will bring in larger ships, it will accommodate global shipping, it really is the future for the Port of Saint John,” added Pat Riley of Local 273 of the International Longshoremen’s Union

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It will bring in larger ships, it will accommodate global shipping, it really is the future for the Port of Saint John," added Pat Riley of Local 273 of the International Longshoremen's Union

Hatch Dillon said the next milestone will be in January, when more complete design work is expected to be revealed.