Eva Fortin and Jacques Daigneault working on berth 28

End of project: Berth 28

Launched in February 2025, the Berth 28 rehabilitation project is part of the Port of Montreal’s ongoing efforts to maintain and modernize its infrastructure. The project initially aimed to reinforce an aging structure that was showing abnormal movement. Built in 1902, Berth 28 — one of the Port’s oldest berths — rested on a structure built using methods from another era, with interlocking wooden caissons connected by steel bars.

Eva Fortin, an engineer and project manager at the MPA since 2021, joined the project in May 2025 alongside Yvon Bureau. “All berths move, and it’s normal to observe some displacement, but we need to make sure those movements remain within normal limits,” she explains.

On site, several challenges added to the complexity. Since the berth was unstable, it was impossible to work from solid ground, and teams had to operate from barges. “Drilling from the water is much more complex than working on a stable surface,” Eva points out.

The work became increasingly complex, with significant operational impacts: area closures, traffic interruptions, and disruptions to rail and marine operations. The Port road and a railway track remained closed for more than a year.

At the end of June 2025, the situation changed dramatically as new major movements were detected in the berth. “It completely changed our game plan and the scope of the work.” Rather than simply consolidating the structure, “we decided to excavate and demolish everything before the berth collapsed into the river.”

Another unknown also emerged: the riverbed itself. Teams discovered numerous debris, including detached fragments of wooden caissons, which slowed progress and damaged equipment. Marine conditions—waves, river traffic, and winter weather—also added to the complexity of the project.

Despite these challenges, the critical phases were completed on time before the arrival of cold weather. Ultimately, the work successfully stabilized and sustainably rebuilt the berth.

The major milestones included:

February to November 2025: consolidation and construction of a new combined underwater wall (installation of 81 piles and more than 160 sheet piles)
July 2025: excavation and demolition of the capping wall (above water) over 50 metres (the most fragile sections at risk of collapsing into the river)
December 2025: completion of the combined wall work
January 2026: reconstruction of the capping wall
February to April 2026: backfilling and underground infrastructure work

Today, Berth 28 has been stabilized and is back in service! A few interventions still need to be completed, particularly by the maintenance and marine teams, but the most critical work is now done.

The focus now shifts to maintenance, with one objective: extending the lifespan of this infrastructure for another century—and beyond.