North Runway News - May edition
North Runway News
Welcome to the North Runway News, our bi-monthly newsletter that provides information about what’s happening with our North Runway Program. New in this edition is an animated look at how we are delivering our program. Also included are details of current construction activities and our next milestones.
Watch the video below to learn more about our approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoWzt0kD7Q0
What we’ve been up to:
Paving of the North Runway has officially begun. The beginning of this work marks a significant milestone, as full construction is now underway. Working in approximately 150 metre increments each night, YVR and contractor crews will add a new layer of asphalt. The asphalt lift will finish with a slope grade to allow the safe landing and takeoff of aircraft during the North Runway’s daily operating hours. As part of the paving works, crews will also be removing, rising and reinstalling runway lights and reapplying paint markings before the runway is returned to service each day.
Image caption: Paving works are underway on YVR’s North Runway.
In preparation for this pavement work, crews completed several important pre-construction activities. This included setting up the airside laydown site, creating access roads, completing concrete repairs and conducting environmental testing around the construction site. This required the program team to work together seamlessly as we planned and completed these early works. Reaching the paving milestone is a huge credit to the dedication and commitment of the many teams involved in the project to date.
Image caption: Pavement preparation and preservation taking place to improve the smoothness, texture, and lifespan of concrete on the North Runway.
Prior to this, in March, crews undertook a trial exercise. This trial exercise provided teams the opportunity to refine strategy and plans to safely maximize productivity within the limited construction window each night.
Image caption: As part of the trial exercise, crews conducted a mock shift to prepare for the construction period.
Safety and security remain our top priorities. YVR continues to conduct training sessions with our team and contract partners. Training includes wildlife protection, how to safely navigate airside areas, and YVR’s Foreign Object Debris (FOD) management program as well as ongoing sessions with Musqueam for Cultural Awareness Training and Chance Find procedures.
Crews have also received new Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including Type II hard hats or safety helmets. These safety helmets are a new design of head protection that provides a chin strap for a secure fit, improves side and rear protection, and improves overall comfort.
Operational updates:
YVR operates a dual runway system, with the South Runway generally used for departures and the North Runway for arrivals. As part of scheduled infrastructure work on the airfield, the North Runway is temporarily being used for daytime departures (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.), while arrivals occur on the South Runway. Some communities may notice a shift in aircraft noise during this time due to the change in runway direction. All airport operations continue safely and efficiently, and we expect to resume our standard runway configuration following the completion of this phase of the airfield work.
Further updates shared via our Newsroom: www.news.yvr.ca.
What’s next:
Over the summer, crews will be focused on the asphalt overlay and working towards finishing the first pass of the runway slated for completion in June. Don’t miss the video linked above to learn more about how we are delivering the asphalt overlay in a series of passes.
Crews will also be working on other major infrastructure elements, including subdrain work to upgrade and replace elements of the runway drainage system, which will improve water removal from the runway surface. Crews will also prepare for the raising of the electrical work in and around the runway.
Visit www.yvr.ca/northrunway for more information about the program.