Company extended the berth, built new passenger terminal building, installed an SPBB and a vehicle linkspan
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Royal HaskoningDHV (RHDHV) has completed work on a new ferry terminal at Ullapool Harbour in the Scottish Highlands, UK.
Partly funded by Transport Scotland and Ullapool Harbour Trust (UHT), the terminal was developed to accommodate Caledonian Marine Assets Ltd’s new £42 million Loch Seaforth.
UHT commissioned RHDHV to design, procure and project manage the extension of the terminal’s existing berth structure, the construction of a new passenger terminal building, and the installation of a seaport passenger boarding bridge (SPBB) and a vehicle linkspan with supporting hoist towers and dolphins.
RHDHV engineers worked closely with MacGregor, which designed and supplied the vehicle linkspan equipment, and Spanish SPBB manufacturer ADELTE.
The company also worked with the main contractor, RJ McLeod, which was responsible for the extension to the quay, replacing the fenders and building a new abutment structure for the vehicle linkspan.
“As the world’s leading authority in the design of ferry ports, including the procurement of vehicle linkspans and seaport boarding bridges, we were the obvious choice for this very important project,” said Tim Davies, director of Passenger and Vehicle Terminals for RHDHV. “The biggest challenge was not so much the design of the various elements under our responsibility but the remoteness of the site location. Preparing for a site visit was a major under taking; ensuring staff were well briefed, prepared with the correct equipment and drawings, and allowing a full day to get there, and another to get back.”
Now that the terminal has been completed, Loch Seaforth will be able to carry up to 632,000 passengers and 130,000 cars between Ullapool and the port of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis and Harris annually.
“RHDHV was dedicated to achieve the objectives of the project and its team was a key part of the success,” said Alistair Chan, project manager and marine civil engineer for CMAL for the Ullapool project. “The machinery provided has helped to safeguard the ferry service for many years to come, providing benefit for the local and wider community. Following on site completion, RHDHV has provided continued support and expertise, and has been committed to ensure it has provided value for money.”
RHDHV is to develop several ferry terminals across the west coast of Scotland over the coming year.
“We are currently carrying out work at other harbours across the (Scottish) Highlands,” said Davies. “This is the beginning of a story, being driven by the old vessels which have served Scotland for a long time on the tourist routes. Unfortunately, they don’t have the scale and capacity which is now needed to match the increasing tourism from overseas, and there are more people wanting to use their cars.”