The Port of Tarragona, Spain, recently added the second connection to the new Balears Wharf and is now ready to begin dredging.
According to the port, the second connection made between the Llevant breakwater and the caissons of the Port Tarragona’s Balears Wharf gives a highly identifiable appearance to the new wharf.
This second and definitive overland access to the caissons allows the eleven concrete foundations to be filled with material transported by lorry from either side, making the task even easier. At the same time, work continues on the construction of the extrados with a rear stone embankment.
In parallel, the dredger “Ardenza” is undertaking the auxiliary tasks of filling the eleven installed caissons. This process will give the necessary weight and consistency to the caissons ‒ the wharf’s foundations ‒ to support future planned interventions.
The port also added that for the following phase, the interior of the future wharf will be filled with material dredged from the zone between the Cantàbria and Andalusia wharfs. This will allow the dockside depths to be maintained on each of the infrastructures.
Balears, a sustainable wharf
The new wharf will increase the port’s capacity to receive more visitors in improved conditions. It will have a total berthing line of 700m, as vessels will be able to dock on both sides along 240m of the 460-metre length, as well as on the Llevant breakwater. All this will allow twice the number of cruise ships to dock simultaneously, as well as being able to receive the largest cruise liners in the world.
Moreover, the Port of Tarragona has designed this area as a multipurpose wharf capable of handling different types of port traffic now and in the future. The current priority is to welcome cruise liners and their passengers, an activity it is hoped will begin in the middle of next year.
The new infrastructure will have a very long operative life and its design will allow it to be converted, if necessary, into a terminal for solid bulks and other types of cargos.