GOUROCK FERRY TERMINAL LINKSPAN REMOVED
The Gourock Ferry Terminal linkspan has been removed from the harbour infrastructure in a carefully planned night-time operation.
Lara 1, a large, highly manoeuvrable offshore crane barge with a reach of 40 metres, arrived at Gourock Ferry Terminal last week to prepare for a nightshift operation to lift the linkspan and make way for a new one. It was removed in the early hours of Wednesday 4 November and is now on its way to Liverpool on the Lara 1 to be disposed.
The new linkspan has already been delivered to Gourock and will be installed in the coming weeks.
Caledonian Maritime Asset Ltd (CMAL), which owns the terminal, is delivering a £2 million project to extend the life of the linkspan structure. The works, which are being carried out by contractor, George Leslie Limited, will also deliver repairs to the linkspan support structures and dolphins and replace the steel deck and associated mechanical and electrical equipment.
The works began on site earlier this month and are due to be completed by 23 December, subject to weather conditions. It includes a nine-week closure period for the linkspan from 19 October to 18 December. When complete, Gourock will be available as an alternative mainland port for vehicle services.
Paul Colenso, senior civil engineer at CMAL, said:
“The lift out was conducted during a nightshift to avoid disruption to the ferry service. Night-time working takes a little bit of extra planning, particularly for a complex lifting operation like this. It marks a major step in the project, with the next key milestone being the install of the new linkspan.
“We’re working to complete in December, so long as we don’t experience any severe weather over the coming weeks.”
CMAL is progressing options for the redevelopment of Gourock Ferry Terminal as part of an overall project to deliver a modern, reliable and resilient lifeline passenger ferry service between Gourock, Dunoon and Kilcreggan.
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