€23.5m contract signed for major Dinish Island quay extension

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D., attended RPS offices in Cork for the signing of a contract for a €23.5 million, 216m long quay development project and associated works on Dinish Island, Castletownbere. Castletownbere Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned, managed and maintained by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

In addition to doubling of the Dinish Island facility through the provision of 216 metres of extra landing berth, the project will deliver approximately 2.2 acres of highly usable reclaimed quay storage area, two new major breakwater structures at the entrance to the harbour, the dredging of the navigation channel to -6.5mCD and the dredging of a berthing pocket to -8.5mCD to further facilitate landings by vessels up to100m length overall (LOA).

RPS has been the lead consultant for DAFM throughout the planning, design and procurement phases of this project. The multi-disciplinary service delivery has been led by the Belfast maritime team with various other teams from the Belfast and Cork offices providing specialist PSDP, environmental and planning services.

Welcoming the signing of the contract with contractor L&M Keating Ltd, the Minister said “This is a very significant investment for the South West and will be a big boost to the Beara Peninsula and West Cork in general. The Project will double the workable quay space on Dinish Island in Castletownbere and will enable significant expansion in fish landings, on shore processing and general marine activity at this major port.

The project now enters an 18 month construction phase which will be administered and supervised by RPS.