£2.5MILLION Project To Extend Life Of Gourock Ferry Terminal Linkspan

CALEDONIAN Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has announced it is progressing a project to extend the life of the linkspan at Gourock Ferry Terminal.

The £2.5 million investment will involve repairs to the linkspan support structures and replacement of the steel deck. Once complete, the linkspan will be able to carry vehicles.

The process to appoint an engineering firm to carry out the work are now underway by CMAL and it is hoped the work will be complete in late 2020.

Ramsay Muirhead, director of port infrastructure and planning at CMAL, said: “This is welcome news for ferry users. The age of the linkspan at Gourock has been causing operational issues for several months and we know it has created significant inconvenience.

“Working with a specialist consultant engineering firm, we have identified a solution that will return normal vehicle-carrying capacity. It means Gourock will be available as an alternative mainland port for vehicle services.

“This is a significant investment in life-extending measures to improve the resilience of the linkspan until a new one is built as part of the terminal redevelopment.”

CalMac’s director of operations, Robert Morrison, said: “We welcome CMAL’s commitment to investing in Gourock linkspan to enable vehicles to use it again. It will be a welcome development for the communities of Bute and Arran, who rely on it as an alternative mainland port.”