Aberdeen Harbour Board has awarded a £14 million contract to construction company McLaughlin & Harvey for the first phase of the Torry Quay redevelopment.

The Northern Ireland firm will undertake works on the initial stage of a three-phase project worth £30 million, which is due to get underway in April.

The first, which will take 18 months to complete, will include the demolition of the existing wharves at Torry Quay and replacing them with 300 metres of realigned, deep draughted quays constructed from steel piles and reinforced concrete. These new quays are designed to be more suitable for modern, deep draughted ships and heavy cargoes.

On completion the project, which is part of Aberdeen Harbour Board’s £65 million development strategy, will result in over 500 metres of new deep water berths and more than seven hectares of back up land on the south side of the River Dee.

Ken Reilly, engineering director of Aberdeen Harbour, said: “We are delighted that work is about to start on this redevelopment. Aberdeen Harbour is an integral part of the north-east’s economy and it is essential that we offer port users new and improved facilities as vessels increase in size.

“Substantial consultation has taken place with all the stakeholders in the area to ensure the works are carried out without disturbance to the environment, particularly protected species of salmon and dolphin that frequently visit the harbour.”

Tags: Aberdeen Harbour