Construction is in full swing for a new addition to the CN tracks just outside Terrace.

The new rail spur will extend outward from the tracks west of the city.. and connect to a Kitsumkalum rock quarry a few kilometers north of Highway 16.

The Kitsumkalum First Nation's Chief Don Roberts says.. his band and CN Rail came to an agreement earlier.. on purchasing rocks from the band and using it as bedrock for the company's railways.

"It's high quality stregnth rock, it's that small rock that's on top that takes all the grunt of all of the trains running back and forth. It lasts quite awhile longer than where they get other rock, so that's the difference, and they said that means quite a bit less maintenance, so they're after it."

The spur would help transport the rocks from the quarry to locations such as Prince Rupert.

The railway extension will intersect with Highway 16 just west of Terrace.

A C-N Rail spokesperson says they will be installing signals at the railway crossing.