Improvement of the safety of navigation in the Karosta Canal

By construction of protective barriers at Oskars Kalpaks swing bridge in the Karosta Canal of the Port of Liepaja, the Liepaja SEZ Authority has completed implementation of the last component of the EU Cohesion Fund Project No. 6.1.1.0/17/I/004 " Renovation of the Karosta Canal and the Northern Gate Hydrotechnical Structures". Within the framework of the project, safe navigation has been substantially improved at the Northern Gate of the Port, the breakwaters of the Karosta Canal have been restored, Berth 1 has been dismantled and lighting has been installed in the Karosta Canal. By implementing the project, the goal of the project to improve navigation safety in the Karosta Canal has been achieved. 

The Karosta Canal is a technically complex hydrotechnical structure characterized by intense navigation. Technical solution of the Canal, incl. the relatively narrow fairway, the system of entrance breakwaters, coastal protrusions, and specifically the constructions of the swing bridge over the Canal make it difficult for vessels to proceed, thereby increasing the risk of potential marine accidents. 

Construction of the protective barriers alongside the supports of the Karosta Canal swing bridge reduces the risk of ships colliding with the bridge structures due to human error or technical problems, thus endangering both the safety of vessels and navigation in the Karosta Canal in general. The total costs of the construction of protective barriers amount to 2,370,583.00 euros, including co-funding of the EU Cohesion Fund. i.e. 1,349,192.20 euros.

The protective barriers consist of two separate structures – the southern and northern side constructions. Each structure consists of 15 shell piles sunk into the bed of the Karosta Canal, which are connected by a horizontal pipe structure. The length of each structure is ~ 98 m, both of them are equipped with navigation signs and sliding surfaces of composite material. The durability of the protective barriers has been calculated to ensure protection of the supports of the Karosta Canal swing bridge from a collision with vessels having the following maximum dimensions:

Carrying capacity – 25,000 tons;

Length (LOA) 180 meters;

Width 28 meters;

Draft 8.6 meters.

The Liepaja SEZ CEO Uldis Hmieļevskis admitted that important work has been done to prevent accidents similar to what happened in 2006, when the tanker "Anna" crashed into the abutment of the northern part of the bridge, causing such serious damage that it took four years to restore the bridge. 

Generally speaking, the project "Renovation of the Karosta Canal and Northern Gate Hydrotechnical Structures" has significantly improved safety of navigation in the Port of Liepaja. "As compared to the previously permitted 24 m width of vessels, which could safely enter the Karosta Canal, after implementation of the aforementioned project it has been increased to 28 m. This means that we can accept larger and longer ships. The Karosta Canal is part of the port with an active economic activity," says Uldis Hmieļevskis.

Ivo Koliņš, Head of the Port Infrastructure Projects Department of the Liepaja SEZ Authority: "Apart from the construction of the protective barriers alongside the supports of the Karosta swing bridge, the EU Cohesion Fund Project 6.1.1.0/17/I/004 "Renovation of the Karosta Canal and the Northern Gate Hydrotechnical Structures"" stipulated a series of other measures to improve safety of navigation in other parts of the Port of Liepaja, which have now been implemented – for instance, reconstruction of breakwaters of the Karosta Canal, installation of lighting in the Karosta Canal and the Pilot Canal for navigation in dark hours, opening of the Northern Gate for regular navigation.  Thus, the total costs of the entire project amount to 5,743,670.87 euros, of which 3,886,748.04 euros was financed by the EU Cohesion Fund.

Within the framework of the 2014-2020 EU fund planning period, the Liepaja SEZ Authority implemented wide-ranging development projects:

The project "Development of the Land Access Roads to the Port of Liepaja", total eligible costs of the project: EUR 5,853,368.57;

 The project "Improving the Water Infrastructure of the Port of Liepaja", the total eligible costs of the project: EUR 30,287,974.95;

Implementation of the abovementioned projects is directly related to the achievement of the goals of the National Development Plan of the Republic of Latvia for the period from 2014 to 2020. An important role in the country's economic development is played by multimodal transit corridors, which are made up of transit roads, railways, and ports, which allow for an increasing volume of goods transported along the transit corridors and contribute to the formation of new manufacturing and service industries in Latvia.