Redevelopment of the Terminal at the Bécancour Port Area

Specific challenges for a unique sector

The main challenge of this mandate was that the development of a port area is completely different from that of an urban environment. Each port has its unique layout and particularities, and the team had to familiarize itself with these in addition to understanding how it works and its dynamics, in order to properly assimilate the type of trips that take place and the issues that arise from them. Our traffic study and planning engineers therefore carried out several field visits to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the entire area for the following aspects: layout, marking and signage, access to the site, vehicular traffic, pedestrian walkways, terminal division, and parking. A second challenge was to ensure the cohabitation of vehicles of all types, ranging from the cars of on-site workers to industrial machines weighing several tons. The latter had to be able to move freely without compromising employee safety. Our team therefore demonstrated agility in seeking tailor-made layouts that meet this major challenge.

A complex social environment

During this mandate, Intervia had to consider the work climate at the port and the fact that several stakeholders were involved and were sometimes in competition. To this end, the team held consultations with operators and the president of the maritime workers' union to clearly articulate the layout concepts while incorporating the needs of the various stakeholders.

The work dynamic that existed between the different stakeholders therefore required strong adaptability on the part of the Intervia team to align with the changes occurring with the needs and expectations of the stakeholders. The proposals therefore had to be reworked while remaining consistent with the other established concepts.