North Runway News - August edition
Welcome to the North Runway News, our bi-monthly newsletter that provides information about what’s happening with YVR’s North Runway Program.
New in this edition, a new video series! Our North Runway Program is a comprehensive engineering and construction project with paving and upgrades that will ensure the longevity and resilience of this critical piece of airport infrastructure.
The work and people delivering it have a story to tell and we’re proudly sharing this story through a new video series. Earlier this month we launched the first episode, which provides a closer look at our approach, our collaboration with Musqueam, the complexities of working within an airport environment, and what the program means to YVR and our community from the perspective of those who are working on it every day.
The second episode, featuring our paving operations, is also now available. View these first two installments of our video series on our Major Projects page.
Read on for more detailed information about our progress.
What we’ve been up to:
Earlier this month, we completed more than 100,000 work hours on our North Runway Program. We marked this milestone at a Mass Safety Meeting, where teams celebrated together before conducting the standard safety briefing ahead of their overnight shift.
Safety is our top priority, and crews continue to employ excellent Foreign Object Debris Management (FOD) practices. Each night, walking side by side, crews walk the runway from one end to the other to ensure no construction materials are left behind prior to re-opening the runway for operations. This work reflects our team's ongoing commitment to safety - ensuring no construction materials are left behind before the runway reopens for operations.
These work hours and our attention to safety are what power our progress.
Over the past few weeks, crews completed the second full paving pass of the runway.
Other works continue to progress as planned. Crews are working to install the new subdrain systems, new runway lights and raise utility access points to improve the efficiency of our operations.
Earlier this summer, we hosted a tour of our overnight paving operations for members of YVR’s executive team and board of directors. The group walked the runway and was able to watch the asphalt work in action.
Throughout the program lifecycle, cultural training sessions are continuously held to ensure all crew members have a strong understanding of Musqueam people and the land of which the North Runway sits on. We were privileged to have Musqueam Elders, along with Kleanza Archaeology, on the runway to observe subdrainage activities to ensure that all work is being done respectfully in adherence with Musqueam protocol.
What’s next:
As teams work towards substantial completion, there are several activities left to complete.
September will be the busiest work month for our crew. Along with the final paving pass, crews will prepare for re-commissioning the runway. This includes the final painting of the runway, flight checks by NAV CANADA, and completion of the CAT III runway lighting system.
Visit www.yvr.ca/northrunway for more information about the program.