After a break, it looks like work is continuing at pier 9 with the placement of large boulders at the end of the pier. These boulders were reclaimed from the old gravel pier 9, andstockpiled untill now at the edge of the site.
Work at Pier 9 is progressing, with the Concrete Caissons now filled with gravel, and backfilling underway.
The tanker Davino D tied up at pier 9 to discharge a cargo of heating oil for the Wilson Fuels Terminal on Barrington Street. There is a spout on the pier to offload tankers at, so Pier 9 sees occasional visits from time to time.
The Port Authority has issued some press releases, and purchased some land from CN, But has been relatively quiet on what the plans for Pier 9 are. Most of the statements are that the 9D Section will be improved, and that there may be additional sheds, Rail Access, and the addition of container cranes.
Construction has now begun, with Harbour Development having finished dredging work, and McNally construction now working on the pier. Since Projects of this size require an environmental assessment prior to being approved, I requested a copy from the federal Environment Department.
It Reveals a substantial addition to the pier, stretching from the existing pier 9b/9c junction to the Mackay Bridge. It features On Pier rail, which makes sense, since part of the idea was to perform addtional heavy lift operations from the upgraded pier. Also shown is a new shed, parking lot, and on pier gantry crane. All of this infrastructure really formalizes the use of the pier in recent years, as Jumbo Shipping previously exported Locomotives from pier 9, and Nirint Shipping stopped there as well to perform container operations.
The Halifax Port Authority has aquired land from CN at both Pier 9 and Halterm. The Halterm land will allow for reconfiguration of the approach road to allow for a smoother turn and Improved cargo-handling efficiencies, particularly for truck operations, through upgrades of the truck marshalling yard and gate complex.
At Pier 9 The land will likely be used to Expand the Pier Area.
