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. Our February 2025 installment details how we’re finishing early works and gearing up for construction to officially commence this spring.

What we’ve been up to:

Crews are continuing early works in preparation for the main construction work, including the replacement of old runway light cans with newer models. This infrastructure is embedded into the runway and holds the electrical wiring and fixture. 

During the project, nighttime construction will be a highly coordinated effort. To ensure the runway reopens by 7:00 a.m. each morning, YVR and contractors have been conducting trials to test equipment and improve processes. These full-scale exercises allow crews to refine their strategy to maximize productivity within the limited construction window each night. 

Above: As part of the trials, crews tested the diamond grinding equipment and process. This pavement preservation technique is used to improve the smoothness, texture, and lifespan of concrete runways, like the North Runway. 

Above: Crews inspect the effectiveness of the diamond griding tool. 

Crews have also finalized the groundside construction area and are now looking to mobilize airside. The groundside laydown area will serve as a space for contractors to store, organize and stage materials each day in advance of the nighttime work. To connect the groundside and airside laydown areas, crews will be constructing a new temporary roadway to improve efficiency of operations each night. 

At YVR, we recognize our responsibilities to Musqueam and the lands the airport resides on. On February 24, program team and contractors participated in the first Cultural Awareness Training session which was held in Musqueam Community. Participants experienced different areas of the community and toured the museum, where they viewed real belongings and learned of their cultural significance. Knowledge gained during the session will be applied to the work of the North Runway Program – and beyond.  

Pictured above: Program team members and contractors participated in the first Cultural Awareness Training session, which was held in Musqueam Community.

What’s next:

With construction set to begin in April, crews are planning and preparing for the overnight work. To ensure nightly construction work and regular airport activities both occur efficiently, crews are refining maintenance and operational response plans to account for the construction work, to ensure operational resiliency through the lifecycle of the project.  

Safety and security remain our top priorities. 

YVR’s North Runway Program brings together a variety of contractors working on a complex project. To ensure the ongoing safety of our operations we are adapting airside safety orientation sessions specific to the hazards and controls for our contract partnership. Working collaboratively with leading companies in our community helps us ensure we protect the health, safety and security of not only workers, but also our flying public within our unique airport environment. 

Enhancing the impact of our Contractor Safety Management Program (CSMP) remains a key part of our commitment to projects like these and many others. Increasing our testing controls such as preparedness exercises, drills, inspections, pre-shift meetings, and orientations to ensure that everyone remains diligent with our safety and security protocols. 

Visit www.yvr.ca/northrunway for more information about the program.  

Welcome to the North Runway News 

The North Runway News is Vancouver International Airport's (YVR) bi-monthly newsletter that provides information about what’s happening with our North Runway Modernization Program. This first installment includes an introduction to the program, and details early works to be completed over the winter construction season. 

YVR is moving ahead with a modernization program to refurbish its North Runway.  

Originally opened in 1996, the North Runway will receive a series of upgrades to enhance operational resiliency. Work is set to begin in spring 2025 and be completed by fall. Construction will be carried out during the existing nightly closure of the North Runway, which runs from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. Therefore, we are not anticipating any impact to flight schedules or passengers as the work is carried out.  

Read more about the North Runway Modernization Program here. 

Program by the numbers:

What’s next: 

Throughout the winter construction period, crews will advance early works, which includes upgrading our edge light system. This will ensure edge lights can easily be removed, raised and replaced during nightly runway works, providing an innovative solution that will help expedite the process to return the runway to service each morning during construction. 

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. 

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, a new milestone! We completed the first full pass of both levelling and paving, meaning crews laid the first layer of asphalt along the entire length of the runway. The North Runway spans more than 3,000 metres (9,941 feet) and approximately 20,000m³ of asphalt was used for this first pass, representing a significant achievement for the program.

Having completed both levelling and paving, we will conduct two more full passes, while advancing drainage and electrical upgrades. This paving and upgrades work will enhance the operational resiliency of our dual runway system. Work is carried out during the existing nightly closure of the North Runway, which runs from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily.

Fun fact: if you’re travelling through the airport on an international or U.S. bound flight, once you pass security screening, you will be able to see the new asphalt covering the runway from any north-facing window.

Read on for more detailed information about our progress.  

What we’ve been up to:

Earlier this month, crews completed the first full passes of the runway. Working in increments of approximately 150 metres each night, crews made their way down the entire runway, paving the more than 3,000 metre (9,941 feet) length with approximately 20,000m³ of asphalt. Crews also paved adjoining taxiways and levelled some areas to ensure a smooth surface.

The North Runway is as wide as an 18-lane highway, requiring a highly coordinated effort across all aspects of our program.

To manage work each night, we lead a comprehensive plan that considers emerging challenges. This plan was put to the test in May when, due to an unforeseen equipment issue with our asphalt supplier, overnight paving work was unable to be completed in time to allow the North Runway to open in the morning. Through close collaboration and with rigorous plans in place, our teams worked with contractors to solve the challenge, which included securing a secondary asphalt supplier, and safely re-opening the runway the next morning, on time.

Image caption: An aerial image showing the asphalt along the runway during the daytime.

Image caption: Crews work at night to pave the runway.

In parallel with paving, crews have started upgrades to the electrical systems and runway drainage network. This includes removing and reinstalling runway lights to support the paving operation as well as installing new signage and raising utility access points. For drainage work, crews will dig next to the shoulder of the runway to replace equipment and ensure the continued efficient removal of groundwater and resiliency of our airport infrastructure.

As part of our work with Musqueam, archaeological spot checks are taking place when ground disturbing activity is anticipated during construction in adherence with protocols in place to safeguard Musqueam’s cultural heritage.

Image caption: Crews work to repair sub-drainage infrastructure.

Safety and security remain our top priorities. Each night at the end of construction, crews perform a Foreign Object Debris (FOD) walk. 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.

What’s next:

Crews will now turn their attention to completing the second layer of asphalt on the runway, which is scheduled for completion in early August.

Visit www.yvr.ca/northrunway for more information about the program.