Repair work starts on safety installations in the entrance fairway to Saimaa Canal
On Monday, 16 November 2020, the Saimaa Canal Delegate’s Office of the Russian Federation reported that repair work on the illuminated safety installations in the entrance fairway to the Saimaa Canal has been started, says the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland. The Russian authority prohibited navigation in the dark in the Russian side of the entrance fairway as of 28 September, because the maritime safety installations were broken.
The Finnish and Russian Canal Delegate’s Offices have actively negotiated on removing the restriction. On 15 October, the Finnish Canal Delegate wrote to the Russian Canal Delegate expressing concern about the effects of the restriction on channel traffic.
On Monday, 16 November, the Saimaa Canal Delegate’s Office of Finland was informed by the Canal Delegate’s Office of the Russian Federation (FGU Saimenskij kanal) that the Russian Hydrographic Service has initiated measures to repair the navigational sector lights in the entrance way to the Canal. According to the Russian Canal Delegate’s Office, the repair work would be completed and the sector lights reintroduced by the end of this week.
As of 28 September 2020, the harbourmaster of Vyborg imposed a restriction on vessel traffic in the dark in the entrance fairway to the Saimaa Canal in the section from the Mariankivi light to the Brusnitchnoe lock. The restriction will remain in force until the illuminated navigational safety installations are operational. The maintenance of the safety installations in the entrance fairway to the Saimaa Canal in the Bay of Vyborg is the responsibility of the Russian Federation.
In the last few years, the traffic volumes in the Saimaa Canal have amounted to 1.3 million tonnes a year. This year, the freight traffic volumes have been growing.
