The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority commissioned the installation of new navigation aids in eastern Burrard Inlet to enable safer and more efficient ship movements through the busy Second Narrows waterway.
As announced, this work includes installing two solar-powered range lights and a sector light off Berry Point, and illuminating the pillars of the Second Narrows Rail Bridge. The installation will start mid-January of 2025 and is scheduled to be completed in the spring, with the navigation aids expected to be turned on and trialed by the Pacific Pilotage Authority and BC Coast Pilots starting late-April.
Furthermore, the navigation aids will support more than 500 cargo ships calls a year to seven marine terminals located in eastern Burrard Inlet and enable large ships to move through the Second Narrows in an eastbound direction at night, increasing transit capacity and fluidity in this key trade area at the Port of Vancouver.
“The new navigation aids will enhance marine safety and offer ship operators moving through the Second Narrows and terminals located in eastern Burrard Inlet more flexibility in their scheduling—in line with our role as a Canada Port Authority to oversee the safe and efficient movement of goods and vessels on port waters” said Sean Baxter, the port authority’s Acting Director of Marine Operations and Harbour Master.
Baxter continued by commenting that they will also boost efficiency and fluidity by allowing nighttime eastbound transits for larger ships—increasing the transit windows available for cargo vessels to move through the Second Narrows traffic control zone by up to 38%.
Second Narrows (also called Traffic Control Zone 2) is the only area within the port where nighttime transit restrictions are in place. These restrictions—applicable to vessels above a certain size—are part of a suite of standards and procedures to facilitate safe transit through a narrow and constrained shipping channel and support other safety measures such as tug assist and pilot requirements.
This initiative builds on comprehensive risk and site assessments conducted in collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard, Pacific Pilotage Authority and BC Coast Pilots.
