The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is set to install new navigation aids in eastern Burrard Inlet to improve safety and efficiency for ship movements through the busy Second Narrows waterway.
The project includes the installation of two solar-powered range lights, a sector light off Berry Point, and illumination of the Second Narrows Rail Bridge pillars. Work will begin in mid-January and is expected to be completed by spring, with trials starting in late April.
Sean Baxter, the Port Authority’s Acting Director of Marine Operations and Harbour Master, stated: “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. 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%.”
The new aids will support over 500 cargo ship calls annually to seven marine terminals in the area, enabling larger vessels to navigate the Second Narrows at night and boosting transit capacity.
Currently, nighttime transit restrictions are in place for larger vessels to ensure safe passage through this narrow channel, which is the only area with such restrictions in the Port of Vancouver.
This initiative follows comprehensive assessments by the Canadian Coast Guard, Pacific Pilotage Authority, and BC Coast Pilots.
