The Roberts Bank project moving in right direction

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has reached another significant milestone in the development of the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project.

After more than a year of additional technical work, consultation with 46 Indigenous groups, and engagement with federal agencies, the company has submitted their response to the federal government’s August 2020 information request.

The response includes over 2,500 pages of new information on topics like enhanced measures to protect key species such as juvenile salmon and southern resident killer whales, project benefits, and the offsetting plan.

According to the Authority, the results of this work demonstrate that the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project can be delivered in a responsible way that protects and enhances the environment, brings lasting benefits to Indigenous groups and local communities, creates tens of thousands of high-paying supply chain jobs, and supports economic resiliency.

They also added that the timing for the release of the request for qualifications (RFQ) for a design-build contractor depends on the timing of the federal government’s decision on the project.

If the government makes a decision on the project in early 2022, then the RFQ could be released within six to twelve months thereafter. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority will provide more information on the procurement timing early next year.

The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project is a proposed new three‐berth container terminal that would provide 2.4 million TEUs of additional container capacity annually.

The main components of the proposed project are:

• A new three-berth marine container terminal;
• A widened causeway to the mainland to accommodate additional road and rail infrastructure;
• An expanded tug basin to accommodate a second tug operations contractor.