New bus terminus opens
Pier works ahead of schedule
The new bus terminus at Brodick ferry terminal opens today (Friday).
It marks the latest milestone in the £22.2 million redevelopment with contractor George Leslie Ltd one week ahead of schedule and moving on to the next phase.
The second phase has now been completed which has now seen, along with six new bus stances, the new terminal’s foundations, ground and first floor concrete floors installed and the main steel frame substantially completed. On the site, the east and west revetment rock core has been completed along with the secondary and primary armour and wall construction. On the south side of the new pier, the piling and construction operations have also been completed.
Phase three will last for approximately 10 weeks, with a scheduled completion date of Monday October 3. The old bus stance will now close and construction work will start shortly on the new marshalling area access road at the west end of the site.
In addition, the external and internal walls of the terminal will be constructed and work will continue on the roof. On the site, the work on the east and west revetment area will continue and the precast concrete retaining walls, which are already in place, will see additional primary rock armour added to the front of the retaining wall on the seaward side to protect against wind and wave action.
The majority of the primary rock armour toe is now below sea level which means that the contractor will, in the next few weeks, be able to send an additional 900 tonnes of sand for Brodick Improvements Committee to put down on Brodick beach.
The new pier construction is continuing according to schedule, with new pier piles being delivered and driven into position. Once all the piles are driven in, precast concrete crossbeams will be installed on top of the new pier piles where pre-stressed concrete beams will go between the crossbeams to allow the main pier deck construction to begin.
Other changes affecting passengers over the next few weeks will include pedestrian access being altered to the new bus and the existing ferry terminal building which will allow access to both areas.
Access from the temporary marshalling area to the existing terminal building and pier will be re-routed to the north side of the new bus terminals to allow car passengers to board the ferry on foot if required and allow safe access to and from the terminal building facilities, if required.
The temporary pedestrian walkway installed along the north side of Market Road will be resurfaced and will still remain in use. Vehicular ferry traffic will continue to use the temporary marshalling area until completion of phase three, and the temporary ticket office and mobility impaired toilet facilities will remain in place until phase four.
A spokeswoman for owner Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) said: ‘We are very grateful for the continued understanding and patience of the public throughout the project.
‘In the interests of safety, passengers and vehicle owners using the facilities should adhere to guidance provided by the ferry and bus operators.’
The Brodick ferry terminal redevelopment is scheduled for completion in August 2017.