Traffic disrupted, WorkSafe investigating after crane damaged in downtown Vancouver

Traffic was disrupted in downtown Vancouver and WorkSafeBC was deployed Thursday, after a tower crane was damaged at a Howe Street construction site.

It’s not yet clear how the crane was damaged, but the City of Vancouver says Howe Street was closed at Drake Street as a precaution.

Pictures from the scene show a bent steel strut in the bottom of the crane’s jib arm.

The crane is on an Onni Group worksite at 1335 Howe Street.

“This morning during routine safety checks, site staff experienced issues with the crane,” said Onni Group chief of staff Duncan Wlodarczak in an email.

“As a precaution to ensure the safety of all site staff and nearby vehicle traffic and pedestrians, the site was immediately shut down, and the street was closed until a full assessment of the crane could be completed.”

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Onni said it notified the City of Vancouver as soon as it realized there as a problem.

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“Howe will remain closed at Drake until an investigation is completed by WorkSafeBC and appropriate crane engineers and next steps can be established,” said a City of Vancouver spokesperson in an email.

WorkSafeBC confirmed it was notified of the incident Thursday morning, and that safety officers were on site.

The city says it has also deployed a traffic monitor to the site to help with traffic control.

The City of Vancouver says there is no timeline for Howe Street to reopen.