PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. – CN Rail’s Zanardi Rapids Bridge project is steadily taking shape in Prince Rupert, with the new crossing still scheduled to enter service in 2027.
Construction crews are currently advancing work on the temporary bridge being used during construction, while pier caps for the permanent structure have already been completed.
The project carries an estimated price tag of approximately $122 million and is being delivered by Kiewit, with part of the investment supported through federal trade corridor funding.
Once completed, the new bridge will provide a 1,600-foot waterway crossing and form an important part of a broader effort to strengthen the rail infrastructure serving the Port of Prince Rupert. CN says the project is being developed alongside other major port investments to accommodate future transportation demand.
The Zanardi Rapids represent a natural constraint on rail capacity at the entrance to the Port of Prince Rupert and the city itself, near the District of Port Edward. The new infrastructure is intended to remove that bottleneck by increasing capacity along the critical rail link.
The project will extend several miles of track in both directions and connect to the new three-track bridge, providing additional capacity as demand continues to grow.
Among the project’s main components is the construction of a new double-track bridge across the Zanardi Rapids. Work also includes rehabilitating the existing single-track Zanardi Bridge and widening the causeway linking the Zanardi Bridge with Ridley Island.
At present, the existing bridge can handle as many as 24 trains per day. According to CN, the Zanardi Bridge Project is designed not only to increase that capacity but also to “future-proof the entire corridor for decades ahead.”
