Dublin Port welcomed the arrival of new port infrastructure in the form of a linkspan which was transported by a supporting barge structure from the Netherlands last month, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The new linkspan (No. 7) will form part of the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project (ABR) at Dublin Port. The ABR where works are ongoing, represents the first major phase in the capital development project of the port's Masterplan 2040.

DPC awarded a contract for its constuction to Ravestein BV. The inland yard based in Deest is from where the linkspan was towed intially upriver (Waal) to the Port of Rotterdam.

In the second stage of the linkspan's delivery voyage, this involved the tug Noordstroom take over towing operations at Europe's largest port. Before the project cargo reached the open sea, the linkspan passed the Hoek van Holland (see photo above). The ferryport which is located close to the North Sea is also on the banks of the New Waterway (Nieuwe Waterweg) which connects to the Port of Rotterdam.

Also seen above at the Hoek van Holland is the Stena Britannica (at 64, 039grt, is ranked the world's 4th largest ferry). The giant ferry was berthed at a linkspan of the Dutch port which connects Harwich in UK as Afloat previously reported in the run up to Brexit.

A linkspan is a structure used to facilitate ro-ro traffic movement from a berthed vessel (via the bow or stern door ramps) to embark or dismembark vehicles ashore.

In the case of linkspan No. 7, Dublin Port plan to position the structure at the new Cross Berth Quay (Berth 26) as a bankseat within the ABR. Vessels that will use this new linkspan (ro-ro jetty which was shortlisted for an engineering award) will berth on to the south side of this new facility located in the centre of the basin.