New 200-metre quay will be able to accommodate cruise ships when it opens at the end of 2017
By
Rebecca Gibson |
BAM Nuttall has started work on the first phase of constructing a new 200-metre quay at Poole Harbour in the UK.
Part of the Poole Harbour Commissioner’s (PHC) master plan, the £10 million pier is due for completion by the end of 2017 and will enable the port to take advantage of the UK’s cruise market.
“This is an important step forward in the expansion of the port,” said Jim Stewart, PHC’s chief executive. “At present we can only take smaller cruise ships but, with these new facilities, we will be able to accept visiting cruise ships accommodating over 1,000 passengers. All this means we will be able to strengthen links between the port and the local economy, in particular the significant cluster of marine-related and tourism industries in the Poole area.”
Civil engineering company BAM Nuttall will use around 1,800 tons of steel piles, all of which will be delivered by sea. The majority of the material reclamation fill is to be taken directly from the port’s maintenance dredging scheme, removing the need for road deliveries. In addition, all marine plant has been sourced from suppliers in Poole and Southampton.
“We are delighted to have secured this prestigious contract and to have the opportunity to continue our long and successful history of working in the port,” said Richard Hayman, contracts manager at BAM Nuttall. “We are looking forward to working in collaboration with PHC and the local community to safely deliver Poole Harbour’s new South Quay.”