New fairway for Ostend Port

25.01.2010

Ostend port is restructuring its entrance. By building two new breakwaters, deeper in sea and by dredging a new fairway, a broader and straighter port entrance will be created, allowing larger vessels to enter the port. This will also bring about an increase in capacity. In the past, vessels had to navigate an elongated S-shaped approach route to enter Ostend port. Only vessels up to 160 metres were able to do so, bigger vessels did not have sufficient manoeuvring space.

Works have progressed sufficiently to allow a new leading light to be taken into service shortly.
On February 8th 2010, at ten o’clock, leading light (128°) will be extinguished and the approach route will no longer be navigable in this direction. At the same time, the new leading light (143°) will be taken into service, together with the new approach route, which will be marked by three pairs of lateral buoys.

Shortly after taking the new leading light and corresponding approach into service, works on the construction of the new breakwater, situated west of the new fairway, will start. This area will be prohibited for shipping, because of the dangers involved.

All vessels should bear in mind that on the east side of the new fairway construction works for the new eastern breakwater have been going on for some time. Because of the dangers, this area is prohibited as well.

While constructing the breakwaters, a large number of rocks are being placed under water. Therefore it is crucial for fishing vessels and pleasure craft to follow the fairway’s axis and to avoid the working areas. Within these areas, forbidden for all shipping, there is a risk of grounding on the underwater parts of the breakwaters under construction.

Future works
At present the last section of the new fairway is being dredged. This is done by means of a fixed pontoon, Pinocchio, which is kept in position by her spuds. A plan dividing the dredging area into different sections has been drawn up, to be able to provide shipping with correct information on the position of the dredger. By contacting Port Control Ostend on VHF 09, all information can be forwarded concerning the current location of the dredger. Positions of the dredger will also be included in the Scheldt Shipping Forecast (VHF 4, hour +15’).

Information to shipping
Fairway users will be informed on the current works in progress through the usual channels:
- Scheldt shipping forecast will broadcast the state of works in progress as from the 25th of January
- Information Messages and Urgent Notices to Mariners will be broadcast by Ostend Radio
- Notices to Mariners: Coastal Division and www.vlaamsehydrografie.be
- The operators in Zeebrugge Traffic Centre will provide radar assistance around the clock for the first two weeks after commissioning the new fairway. This will be done automatically for large commercial vessels and on request for other fairway users. Zeebrugge traffic centre can be contacted via VHF65 (call: traffic centre Wandelaar), radar assistance itself is given on VHF 4.

Time schedule
Construction works on the breakwaters will supposedly be finished by the summer of 2010.
Works on the construction of the new fairway will presumably be finished by the spring of 2012.

More information?

Information on nautical issues?
Capt. Réjane Gyssens
Shipping Assistance Division, head of Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre
Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services
rejane.gyssens@mow.vlaanderen.be

Information on infrastructure and dredging works?
Ir. Jan Goemaere
Maritime Access Division
Mobility and Public Works Departement
jan.goemaere@mow.vlaanderen.be

Plans for dredging works and notices to mariners: www.vlaamsehydrografie.be

The works for an improved port approach are part of the Public Works Plan which is threefold:
1. coastal defence: protecting the centre of Ostend against floods
2. to enable all types of vessels to enter Ostend port
3. to tackle port infrastructural works in a unified way