Vancouver USA Port begins work this month on the new Terminal 1, which will also house the future 3,700-square-meter Public Market over the water. The work carried out over the last 18 months has made the shoreline more resilient to earthquakes.
“We are extremely excited about the next phase of the Terminal 1 renovation. Once completed, the public market will offer a truly unique experience. Our goal is to provide the entire community with accessible and affordable options to shop, eat, and enjoy this incredible place on the Columbia River,” said Julianna Marler, the port’s executive director.
For Terminal 1, new pilings will be installed during the in-water work window from October 1 to January 31, scheduled to minimize impacts on salmon. To complete the necessary work during this period, crews will begin installation activities at 7:00 am Monday through Friday and some Saturdays, and finish at 5:00 pm.
“We greatly appreciate the community’s patience as we move into the next phase of redevelopment. Working in and over the Columbia River requires a lot of planning and care for safety and our ecological resources, and these priorities will be paramount in the construction of the port’s dock,” added Marler.
Vancouver USA Port (in southern Washington state) details that nearly a thousand old wooden pilings have been removed from the river and will be replaced by 198 structural steel ones for the new replacement dock, a major improvement.
The project includes the use of “bubble curtains,” which are devices that push compressed air through submerged perforated pipes to create a barrier of bubbles around construction activities, thus reducing the impact of noise on aquatic life. The new materials placed on the riverbed within the project area are also designed to be more salmon-friendly.
Until January, the steel pilings are scheduled to be placed; once finished, the dock panels will be positioned; starting in the fall of 2026, the finishing touches will be applied to it and its protective fender system, leaving it ready to support the market structure, which is expected to be operational in 2030.
