- New Solar-Powered Lights and Sector Light to Improve Safety in Second Narrows.
- Eastern Burrard Inlet to See Increased Transit Capacity for Cargo Ships.
- Navigation Aids to Enhance Nighttime Transit for Large Ships in Second Narrows.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has released the installation of new navigation aids in eastern Burrard Inlet in order to ensure safe and efficient ship movements through the busy Second Narrows waterway.
Installation of New Navigation Aids
The installation will include: Two solar-powered range lights, A sector light off Berry Point, and Illumination of the pillars of the Second Narrows Rail Bridge. The installation work is scheduled to be initiated in mid-January, and it will be completed by spring 2025. The Pacific Pilotage Authority and BC Coast Pilots will start trialling and activating the navigation aids by late April.
Benefits for Marine Safety and Efficiency
These new navigation aids will bring the following benefits: Improved marine safety when vessels are transiting the Second Narrows Waterway, Increased flexibility to ship operators, particularly for overnight transits, and Increased by 38% transit windows for eastbound larger cargo vessels crossing the Second Narrows traffic control zone. According to Sean Baxter, Acting Director of Marine Operations and Harbour Master with the port authority, the new aids will assist in improving the safe and efficient movement of goods and vessels, meeting the Port Authority’s role in managing port waters.
Impact on Cargo Ship Traffic
The new navigation aids will facilitate more than 500 cargo ship calls per year to seven marine terminals located in eastern Burrard Inlet. They will also allow large ships to transit eastbound at night, thereby increasing the transit capacity and fluidity of this key trade route at the Port of Vancouver.
Nighttime Transit Restrictions in the Second Narrows
The Second Narrows waterway, also known as Traffic Control Zone 2, is the only area within the port that has nighttime transit restrictions. This applies to larger vessels and is part of a greater set of safety standards, including tug assist and pilot requirements, which ensure safe passage through the narrow channel.
Collaborative Effort for Safe Transit
This project will benefit from detailed risk and site assessments completed with the support of several agencies including:
- Canadian Coast Guard
- Pacific Pilotage Authority
- BC Coast Pilots
The aids to navigation form part of an overall strategy aimed at enhancing safety at sea as well as optimizing the operations in Port of Vancouver.
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Source: Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
