UK: Boskalis Westminster Wins Cowes Breakwater Contract

Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) appointed Boskalis Westminster to undertake construction of the new £7 million detached breakwater for Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

The construction of the new breakwater will be carried out in two phases, with the first phase, creating the core structure of the breakwater, commencing in spring 2014.

This initial construction phase will continue through the summer of 2014 and will then be followed by a consolidation period to allow for settlement of the breakwater structure during the autumn through to spring 2015. The contractor will then return to Cowes to re-dress the core structure and complete the construction of the breakwater during the summer of 2015.

Capt. Stuart McIntosh, Cowes Harbour Master, said: “The signing of the breakwater construction contract is a significant milestone and we are really looking forward to working alongside specialist contractor Boskalis Westminster to finally deliver the Cowes breakwater. The Cowes breakwater project is CHC’s main priority, because not only does it offer great opportunities for harbour users, but it will enable economic development to follow, to the benefit of the local community.”

CHC continues to work closely with Atkins, the design and engineering consultancy appointed to project manage the breakwater.

Iain Roberts, Maritime Engineer at Atkins, said: “We’ve made significant progress to date in managing the procurement of the harbour infrastructure elements of the scheme and look forward to working with Boskalis Westminster as we move onto the next phase. Their design is technically robust and will have a long design life.”

Paul Datson, Head of Capital and Coastal Projects at Boskalis Westminster, stated: “Boskalis Westminster has extensive experience around the world in the design and construction of breakwaters and other rock structures, and we are keen to start work on this project that will have such a positive benefit for Cowes.”

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Press Release, March 4, 2014