WILMINGTON — The United States Coast Guard is closing a large part of the Cape Fear River for the transit of the Zhen Hua 25, a 776-foot vessel carrying a new crane for the Port of Wilmington.
“The temporary safety zone will close a large portion of the Cape Fear River to vessel traffic for approximately five to seven hours, affecting all navigable waters about 26 miles south of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, until the ship is safely moored at the North Carolina State Ports Authority,” according to a USCG press release.
The ship is carrying a new crane and any vessels in the area must depart the safety zone prior to the closure.
“Commercial vessels moored at facilities within the safety zone must depart prior to midnight, April 7, and no vessel is authorized to moor, transit, or remain within the river while the safety zone is in effect. A second safety zone will be enforced for approximately two to four hours on separate days for the offload of a Neo-Panamax crane. The zone will include all of the waters within a 200-yard radius around the motor vessel Zhen Hua 25 while moored at NCSPA Berth Eight,” according to the release.
Vessel traffic south of NCSPA will not be impacted during the second safety zone.
The crane, the third neo-Panamex model to be installed at the Port, “will allow the Port of Wilmington to accommodate two ultra-large container vessels side-by-side in a two-berth operation,” according to Port of Wilmington spokesperson Bethany Welch.
