Construction begins on Trans Mountain pipeline in Kamloops, BC

The Kamloops section of the pipeline will be about 185 kilometres of pipe that will begin north of the city and pass all the way down to the summit of the Coquihalla Highway.

The spending costs for the construction of the Kamloops sections alone is estimated to be over $450 million over the next two years which doesn't include the workforce spending that is likely to be over $40 million.

The completion of the Kamloops section of the pipeline is expected to take approximately seven months, said the federal Crown corporation. About 50 people are currently working to prepare the area and once the peak construction occurs some time in the later summer the workforce will grow up to 600 people.

Around 300,000 barrels of petroleum products are delivered daily by Trans Mountain predicts they will be able to supply 890,000 barrels daily once the expansion is finished. They also expect to raise the number of tankers they can pass through Vancouver's harbour on a daily basis as well.

"It is good news for workers in the region and an important step forward on the path to building this critical piece of infrastructure," said Ian Anderson, president and CEO of Trans Mountain, in a released statement.

Last year, construction began in Alberta with the beginning sections of pipe close to Edmonton and is now over half way completed.

Originally, the cost of the entire project was estimated at $7.4 billion however Anderson said that number has jumped significantly since. It is now expected to require a budget of $12.6 billion to complete.