Sustainable Growth: Lafarge's Impact on Metro Vancouver's South Shore Corridor
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Lafarge was the general contractor for the South Shore Corridor Roadway Upgrade Project, which was designed to enhance the port of Metro Vancouver road capacity and future port rail capacity along the port's south shore corridor. The project comprised rail realignment, utility relocation, and a road works reconstruction package for Commissioner Street, Stewart Street, and Centennial Road.
The company also supplied approximately 22,000 tonnes of asphalt and 50,000 tonnes of aggregates and provided construction services for related construction work.
THE CHALLENGE
According to Port of Vancouver, it trades nearly $305 billion in goods with 170 countries, making it critical for global trade. Given the sheer magnitude of operations, the port and its nearing areas are often under the government's radar for improvements.
In 2014, the year of the project’s commencement, the focus was on the roadways surrounding the Metro Vancouver Port to facilitate general traffic and trains.
Scope of Operations
The project required extensive coordination with Port Metro Vancouver shipping schedules and stakeholders throughout the corridor, with daily coordination on 24-hour operations. Benefits of the project included reduced congestion, noise and delays, improved operational control of vehicles, improved road safety, and the capacity to add an additional east-west railway track.
THE SOLUTION
$12 million of the total $75 million project was dedicated to civil works, which Lafarge took on, given the company's proficiency in road construction and related functions. The company used various subcontractors and trades to deliver efficient and effective results.
Lafarge was also the sole supplier of 50,000 tonnes of aggregates and 22,200 tonnes of asphalt, which helped ensure premium quality and increased durability for the road.
Sustainability was critical to Lafarge's approach when procuring and delivering materials, including Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and "Warm Mix" Asphalt, products under the Lafarge Circular Economy Climate Pillar.
The "Warm Mix" Asphalt was produced in the company's Port Kells and Mitchell's Island Plants. The plant's ability to create "Warm Mix" asphalt materials reduces the carbon footprint of asphalt pavement production and construction, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions for reduced environmental impact.
THE RESULT
Due to Lafarge's exceptional performance and historical knowledge in delivering construction services in a work zone with continual adjacent traffic flow, Lafarge was contracted by Port Metro Vancouver in a separate contract to coordinate and manage the truck staging requirements for all port traffic.
Detailed traffic management plans, a comprehensive safety program, and a project sustainability program were developed and implemented in collaboration with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
