AECOM is proud to have served as the Owner’s Engineer for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority on the CAD$450M Centerm Expansion and South Shore Access project, providing vital expertise from design to delivery.
A 60% increase in capacity with only a 15% expansion of terminal footprint
Completed in 2023, the project delivered a series of improvements to this major container terminal at the Port of Vancouver and to adjacent transportation infrastructure. Capacity increased by 60% with only a 15% footprint expansion, achieved through thoughtful redesign and modernization of the terminal, rail, and roadway infrastructure.
Clear goals set the course for success
Clear project definition set this ambitious undertaking up for success. AECOM conducted intensive investigations and analyses across all facets of the site, operations, transportation networks, environmental and archaeological considerations, and visual impacts on view corridors. Risk, cost, and delivery method analyses set the course for the nine-year project.
Working closely with the port authority, the terminal operator, DP World, and adjacent tenants, we captured the project’s needs and established design criteria. These informed the plans for the terminal and roadway layout, structural arrangements, and operations, which were vetted with project stakeholders.
Uninterrupted port operations
The Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port, operates around the clock. Proposed changes to the terminal layout and adjacent roadways required planning that accounted for ongoing operations. Preliminary staging and phasing were necessary to keep traffic flowing throughout construction.
Modern facilities built with the environment in mind
Environmental considerations were integral to the terminal’s modernization. Electrical shore power now powers ships at berth, and diesel gantry cranes were replaced with electric gantry cranes in the intermodal yard. The terminal was built to LEED and Envision sustainability standards, and the project was awarded the Envision Platinum Award for Sustainability in 2022.
About Centerm
Located on the south shore of Burrard Inlet in the Port of Vancouver, Centerm operates six gantry cranes at two berths, on-dock rail facilities, and an advanced system that tracks a variety of containerized cargo in real time. Operated by DP World, it is a vital hub in international trade, offering seamless multimodal connectivity.
