Work has started on the $300-million project to provide a new gateway for passengers taking the Black Ball and Clipper ferries between Vancouver Island and Washington State鈥檚 Olympic Peninsula.

Redevelopment of the Belleville terminal in Victoria鈥檚 Inner Harbour will eventually also provide a new port of entry for use by border control from both countries.

鈥淭his terminal represents a critical trade junction for our region and the country as a whole,鈥� B.C. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said in a press release. 鈥淚t will make travel more convenient and enjoyable for the people travelling through this hub every year.鈥�

The work underway is part of phase one of the project, which involves the building of a large temporary structure behind the Steamship building to accommodate the Clipper ferry during the main phase of construction.

Phase one is supposed to be completed by the fall of this year, with the project as a whole scheduled for completion by 2028.

Phase one contractors have already begun offsite work near Cowichan Bay. Contractors hired to do the phase one work are on a separate contract than those for the main project phase. A shortlist of proponents to potentially work on the main phase has already been invited to submit bids on the project.

The project is three decades in the making, Paul Nursey of Destination Greater Victoria said in a press release

鈥淭his is an act of future-proofing our region, our businesses and our relationships with visitors from the U.S., and it keeps Greater Victoria looking like the remarkable destination it truly is.鈥�

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