Berth Enhancements in Dover and Calais

The European Union has decided to embark on a €14 million TEN-T Programme that will improve sea connections across the Dover Strait.

The TEN-T Programme, established by the European Commission to support the construction and upgrade of transport infrastructure across the EU, will back the improvement of the sea connection between Dover in The UK and Calais in France. The developments include better traffic management, berth enhancements and a new rail freight connection between Calais and southern France.

The project will focus on innovative solutions to adapt and enhance the current transport infrastructure and improve the traffic management across the Strait of Dover.

The project’s activities include:

• The construction of a secure holding facility for 220 freight vehicles in the port of Dover and optimisation of the traffic management to reduce the congestion in the port and its hinterland;
• Berth enhancements in Dover and Calais for a safer, faster, more reliable and robust welcome of larger ferries to reduce their stay in port;
• The construction of a multimodal platform leading to better links between the UK, the Benelux countries and northern Spain.

The action will have a positive impact by encouraging modal shift and reducing the carbon footprint of transport; as well as decreasing road congestion and the negative environmental impact.

Implementation of the project will be monitored by INEA, the European Commission’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency.

The project is to be completed by the end of 2015.

Press Release