Further delay at Port Askaig

A further delay to the works at Port Askaig Pier on Islay has been announced by Argyll and Bute Council. The new date on which the pier is expected to be able to commence handling Caledonian MacBrayne ferries is 7th May. A spokesperson for the Council told Cllr Robin Currie “Our contractor for the works at Port Askaig has experienced some problems with weather etc. resulting in delays to completion of the works.” The coffer dam is now complete and is working so the installation of the dolphin (the extension of the length of the pier), the dolphin cap and the link span can now progress.

To allow this to happen the Mersey Mammoth (a large floating crane) has arrived in Port Askaig and operations can begin to lift in the dolphin, the cap and the linkspan. “Once all is in place work can commence on connecting the hydraulics and electrical connections and fittings. “From the 7th May it is intended that the Jura ferry will temporarily use the linkspan while the essential replacement of the Jura ferry berth and aligning structure is undertaken. It is now anticipated that all marine work will be completed by the end of August. Further work to the pier buildings are scheduled to be complete by the end of the summer 2008.”

Picture courtesy of Mark Unsworth from Islay Studios. The picture shows the new metal stanchions to hold the link span are now in place and at the end of the pier one of the new round mooring dolphins is nearing completion. The picture is from Monday 16 April, afternoon.