Issues with bedrock delay pier protection project

Renovations to the 85-year-old pier are needed to accommodate the Manxman

Issues with deeper than expected bedrock in Douglas Harbour have pushed the completion of a major pier refurbishment project back, the infrastructure department has said.

Work on King Edward VIII Pier was due to be finished by early this year.

The £6.6m renovation project is set to protect the Steam Packet Company's Manxman from gale force winds.

But the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) said the process of creating a temporary drilling platform had been significantly delayed due "how uneven the bedrock is".

A spokesman for the department said the delay has been attributed to issues "encountered around the installation of the two mooring dolphin piles at the end of the pier".

That meant the renovations to the 85-year-old pier would not be completed until after this year's TT festival in May and June.

'Some disruption'

The alterations are being made to better accommodate the new flagship Manxman, which began operating last August and is longer and wider than the Ben-my-Chree, and almost twice the weight.

The DOI spokesman said while six of the piles needed to create a temporary platform for the permanent dolphin piles had been installed, the process took longer than anticipated.

Although that part of the project had been delayed, three new 100 tonne mooring bollards had been installed and about half of the rockbags required have been placed underwater at the foot of the quay.

That work would provide an "added layer of protection from fast moving water around the vessel's propellers and thrusters", the spokesman said.

While some disruption was "unavoidable" as a result of the delays, the department was working with the contractor to "ensure the project can continue to move forwards while ensuring there is minimal effect on sailings and the overall passenger experience", he added.

The works form part of a £80m Harbours Strategy designed to redevelop the island's ports, which was approved by Tynwald in 2018.