By Frédéric Lacroix-Couture The Canadian Press

The Port of Montreal expansion project has officially set sail along the banks of the St. Lawrence River, with construction now underway for a new wharf.

Following preparatory work on the site in Contrecoeur, just downriver from Montreal, workers have begun to construct a stone work jetty in the river.

The Montreal Port Authority says the structure will serve as a platform to move machinery and build the wharf before being converted into the surface of a shipping container yard.

The organization says some 250,000 tonnes of stone have been delivered so far, with thousands more expected in the coming months.

The new site is the first so-called nation-building project fast-tracked for approval by the federal government to get off the ground.

The Port of Montreal has signed a joint development agreement with terminal operator DP World and secured a $1.16-billion loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.