Durban port upgrade gets underway

TERRY HUTSON THE LONG-awaited contract to surface the new cargo handling dock area at the Point between berths D-G was signed on March 31 and work is expected to get underway at the end of this month. The tender allows Protekon 18 months in which to complete this part of what is now a long-overdue project, originally billed for completion in 2005. The new multi purpose terminal has been designed in accordance with the current thinking on terminal design with large open areas to handle ships’ cargo. But the open work area will also be able to handle containers stacked three high in addition to conventional breakbulk cargo. Alongside the new berths the water has been dredged to a depth of –12.8m, the same as at the container terminal, while several sheds alongside the old quay wall, now more than 100m from the bay, have been refurbished for the storage of weather sensitive cargo. According to the NPA the delay in awarding the contract was the result of geotechnical tests aimed at determining the primary settlement in the reclaimed area. Other delays resulted from the late completion of the quay wall and subsequent planning, and it was only after this was complete that the tender process could begin, leading to a contract valued at R240 million. A second contract also awarded to Protekon is for road and rail works costing R34m at the Point Rail Terminal adjacent to the new Point dock area.