Bristol Appoints Engineers for Deep Terminal Project
The Bristol Port Company has progressed to the next stage in building its new Deep Sea Container Terminal by appointing specialist maritime engineers to carry out detailed site investigation work.
The Joint Venture called Construct Bristol Terminal (CBT) is led by international civil engineering contractors Costain and BAM Nuttall together with dredging specialists Westminster Dredging Co and Van Oord. CBT is working alongside marine consultants Halcrow.
CBT has been engaged under an early-contractor-involvement professional services contract. CBT will undertake further site investigation work to reinforce existing records and develop the design. The contract is a significant next step toward the Port Company’s development of the £600 million (US$ 968 million) Bristol Deep Sea Container Terminal.
Bristol Port’s Harbour Revision Order came into force on September 1 2010 and enables the port to construct a deep sea container terminal in Avonmouth with a 1.2 kilometer (.75 mile) quay with a capacity of more than a million containers.
A Harbour Revision Order (HRO) enables ports to make changes to their infrastructure and operations. An order can be issued when a minister is satisfied that it is in the interests of improving maintaining or managing the harbor in an efficient and economical manner.
As part of the project the existing Severn Estuary approach channel will be widened and deepened and a turning basin created near the new terminal. It is estimated that the terminal could be operational in three to four years after start of construction.
The terminal will be located on brownfield and reclaimed land at the Avonmouth Dock site of a former oil terminal and oil tanker jetty. There will be facilities for deep water berths at all tides extensive container handling and storage space and links to the port’s existing rail and road connections.
Simon Bird Chief Executive at Bristol Port said “We are pleased to have appointed CBT as our delivery partner for this important next stage of the project to build the Container Terminal. The team is able to call upon substantial resources and experience in areas such as quay wall design and dredging which will ensure that the critical program items are addressed.
“This appointment emphasizes the port’s commitment to progress this multi-modal transport hub and be in a position to start construction when the time is right. When operational this project will bring cargo closer to the U.K. population than any other existing or proposed deep sea terminals and will thus contribute to significant cost–and carbon–savings all for shippers and distributors of container cargo using the new facility in Bristol.”
