Centerm Expansion Project

May 21, 2015

Project status

Permit amendment issued

In November 2022, amendment PER No. 15-012-11 was issued to Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (the permit holder). The amendment approved a request to amend condition 47 of project PER No. 15-012 to allow for construction outside regular hours of work for the Centerm Expansion Project for the period from November 14, 2022 to April 30, 2023 (24 hours, 7 days a week, including statutory holidays), located at 777 Centennial Road, Vancouver, B.C. The project is on federal lands and waters managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

About the amendment:
The extended construction hours are being requested to maintain the construction schedule, to help minimize impact to current terminal operations during the expansion, and to minimize disruption to adjacent port tenants and operations.

Permit amendment issued

In May 2022, amendment PER No. 15-012-09 was issued to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (the permit holder). The amendment approved the request to amend condition 47 of project PER No. 15-012 to allow for construction outside of standard hours for the approved Centerm Expansion Project (Heatley Overpass Demolition portion).

About the amendment

The amendment allows the permit holder to undertake a portion of the project to demolish and remove the Heatley Overpass beyond the port authority standard construction hours, including evenings, overnights, and weekends. The work is anticipated to require closure of the multiple rail lines that it spans, and to be scheduled to minimize disruption to rail traffic. It is anticipated to take 2-6 months to complete the work during 2022, depending on scheduling. Less than 50 per cent of what remains of the overpass is within the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority jurisdiction, with the balance being in City of Vancouver jurisdiction.

The Permit Holder will follow noise mitigation measures as outlined in their Construction Environmental Management Plan and, in addition they will conduct noise measurements during extended hours as part of the environmental monitoring program. Temporary lighting for night works will be directed down and away from the area to the south as much as possible.

For more information about the project and construction activities, please go to the project website.

Previous amendments

On April 29, 2022, an amendment, PER No. 15-012-010, was approved by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to allow for construction outside regular hours of work for the Centerm Expansion Project for the period from May 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022.

On November 22, 2021, an amendment, PER No. 15-012-08, was approved by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. The amendment extended the validity of the permit from April 30, 2022 to April 30, 2023.

On November 10, 2021, an amendment, PER No. 15-012-07, was approved by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Condition No. 47 of Project Permit 15-012 was amended to allow for on-terminal construction works for the Centerm Expansion Project continuously (24 hours, 7 days a week) for the period from November 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022.

On April 13, 2021, an amendment, PER No. 15-012-06, was approved by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Condition No. 47 of Project Permit 15-012 was amended to allow for on-terminal construction works for the Centerm Expansion Project continuously (24 hours, 7 days a week) for the period from May 1, 2021 to October 31, 2021.

On September 28, 2020, an amendment, PER No. 15-012-03-01, was approved by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Condition No. 47 of Project Permit 15-012 was amended to allow for on-terminal construction works for the Centerm Expansion Project continuously (24 hours, 7 days a week) for the period from November 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021.

On May 11, 2020, an amendment, PER No. 15-012-03, was approved by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Condition No. 47 of Project Permit 15-012 was amended to allow for on-terminal construction works for the Centerm Expansion Project continuously (24 hours, 7 days a week) for the period from May 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020.

On February 28, 2020, an amendment, PER No. 15-012-02, was approved by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Condition No. 66 of Project Permit 15-012 was amended to extend the period allowed for dredging until April 5, 2020.

On February 15, 2019, a minor amendment, PER No. 15-012-01, was approved by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Condition No. 79 of Project Permit 15-012 was amended to extend the deadline to submit a draft Air Emissions Management Plan (AEMP) to April 19, 2019.

On April 18, 2018 a project permit was approved for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s project to build a series of improvements at the Centerm container terminal, and off-terminal road and rail facilities on federal lands and water managed by the port authority. The terminal is located at 777 Centennial Road, in Vancouver, British Columbia. The project was approved subject to 86 permit conditions that the permit holder must meet to ensure the project is constructed safely, protects the environment, and in consideration of local communities does not result in significant adverse environmental effects.

Construction is anticipated to start in the summer of 2019, dependent on meeting permit conditions. Some preparatory and investigative works, such as surveying and geotechnical investigations, will likely take place in advance of construction. Completion is expected by the end of 2022.

For more information about the project, including construction activities, please see the Centerm Expansion Project section on our website. For information about the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority permitting process, please contact [email protected] or call 604-665-9047.

About the project

The Centerm Expansion Project includes a series of improvements at the Centerm container terminal and port roads to help meet anticipated near-term demand for containers to be shipped through Vancouver. The project also includes the South Shore Access Project which will improve infrastructure that would benefit the entire south shore port area. The improvements will increase terminal capacity from a peak capacity of 900,000 containers (or TEUs) to 1.5 million TEUs annually. The project includes an increase to the terminal footprint by approximately 15 per cent and reconfiguration of the terminal to increase container throughput capacity.

The South Shore Access Project includes a new Centennial Road Overpass and an extension to Waterfront Road. These improvements will contribute to the port authority’s long-term objective to improve goods movement and access along the entire south shore port area. The improvements will address road congestion and increase efficiency within the port by removing three at-grade rail crossings for port users, and removing port-related traffic from surrounding roads, while providing a continuous port road from Main Street to Highway 1.

General description:

Marine

Expanding the land area at both the west and east ends of the existing terminal
In-water marine works include dredging to remove unstable substrates
Constructing new rock dykes
Infilling open water areas within the dykes
Dredging to enhance a navigational turning basin for the East Canada Place cruise ship berth in the area between Centerm and the SeaBus south terminal

Land

Removing existing warehouse structures and rehabilitating the Ballantyne Pier (while retaining the Ballantyne Pier heritage façade and conversion into a new office and operations building)
Reconfiguring the terminal intermodal yard to extend the existing tracks
Removing the Heatley Avenue Overpass
Reconfiguring the terminal container yard
Establishing new storage facilities, increasing terminal parking
Reconfiguring the terminal entrance area
Upgrading terminal control systems and yard equipment
Replacing two quay cranes with larger versions, installing up to five new electrified rail mounted gantry cranes
Adding up to 20 new diesel-powered internal transfer vehicles

Off-terminal

Constructing an overpass to the entrance of the terminal (Centennial Road Overpass or CROP)
Removal of the Southern Railway rail crossing at Centennial Road
Rail yard modifications to the rail yard south of the terminal
Westward extension to Waterfront Road

The list of works above is a summary. For a complete list of the works, see Project Permit 15-012.

Resources:

April 2022 – Centerm Expansion Project: Heatley Avenue overpass demolition work hours amendment request – Public engagement and consultation summary report [PDF]
February 2020 – Amendment Centerm Expansion Project – Condition No. 66 | dredging extension [PDF]
October 2019 – Amendment Centerm Expansion Project – Outside of Regular Work Hours Request [PDF]
August 2019 – Amendment Centerm Expansion Project – Outside of Regular Work Hours Request [PDF]
February 2019 – Amendment Centerm Expansion Project – Condition No. 79 | Submission date of the Air Emissions Management Plan deadline [PDF]

April 2018 – Approved Project Permit (PP15-012): Centerm Expansion Project [PDF]
April 2018 – Project and Environmental Review Report: Centerm Expansion Project [PDF]
April 2018 – Final Permit Drawings A-K: Centerm Expansion Project [PDF]

Environmental studies

New and updated reports:

To address comments raised during the application review phase, the Centerm Expansion Project Team were required to revisit certain technical studies in order to support the review process. The following five new and revised documents and their appendices below, dated March 2018, will help the port authority make a decision on the project.

March 2018 – Project Permit Application Environmental Studies Chapter 4: CEP Acoustic Environment [PDF]
March 2018 – Project Permit Application Environmental Studies Appendix A: CEP Acoustic Environment [PDF]
March 2018 – Project Permit Application Environmental Air Assessment [PDF]
March 2018 – Project Permit Application Environmental Air Assessment: Appendices 1 and 2 [PDF]
March 2018 – Project Permit Application Environmental Air Assessment: Appendices 3 and 4 [PDF]
March 2018 – Conceptual Offsetting Plan [PDF]
March 2018 – Water Quality Turbidity and TSS Management Report [PDF]
March 2018 – Drafter TSS/Turbidity Monitoring Plan [PDF]

Contact information

To learn more about the project, please go to the Centerm Expansion Project section on our website, or contact the project team by email or phone at 604.665.9563.

For questions regarding the Project and Environmental Review of the project, or to get in touch with our team, please contact us by email or phone at 604.665.9047.