In 20 months, the fairway leading to the Port of Gdynia will be 130 meters wider and 3 meters deeper. On February 10, the Maritime Office in Gdynia signed a contract for the implementation of the task titled “Deepening of the approach fairway and internal basins of the Port of Gdynia. Stage II – Deepening of the approach fairway.” The project will ensure safe navigation for vessels 400 m long, 58 m wide, and with a draft of up to 14.5 m. Safety will also be improved through the expansion and reconstruction of breakwater heads at the main port entrance, as well as the repair and modernization of navigational aids.
The project, implemented jointly by the maritime administration and the entity managing the port, is a good example of effective action for the development of the Polish maritime economy. Access infrastructure from the water side, for which maritime offices are responsible, in addition to navigational safety, provides a direct benefit to the state budget. Its modernization directly increases transshipment potential, which is clearly visible in the annual records noted by our ports – notes Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Marek Gróbarczyk.
This is one of three stages of the project, conducted jointly by the Maritime Office in Gdynia and the Port of Gdynia Authority S.A.
– Currently, vessels with a maximum draft of 13 meters and a length of up to 340 meters can enter the Gdynia port. The implementation of our project will significantly increase these parameters and, together with the other two parts implemented by the Port Authority, will contribute to even greater port attractiveness and an increase in transshipments. Ensuring safe and efficient access infrastructure from the sea side is a priority for us. We would like to thank the Centre for EU Transport Projects for granting funding for our investments in this area – said the Director of the Maritime Office in Gdynia, Wiesław Piotrzkowski.
The project is being implemented under the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Programme for 2014–2020. The value of the project is 126,965,798.95 PLN, including European Union funding of 107,904,065.97 PLN.
– The Port of Gdynia, being part of the trans-European transport network running between the Baltic and the Adriatic Sea, is adapting its infrastructure to the changing requirements of shipowners and companies in the maritime industry. Thanks to subsequent investments, we are improving port safety while significantly increasing the port’s transshipment potential, which is reflected in the port’s annual records. The completed investment will improve efficiency and allow for the provision of the highest quality port services – Jacek Sadaj, President of the Port of Gdynia Authority S.A.
After the completion of works, the fairway will have a bottom width of 280 m and a depth of 17 m over a length of approx. 3.7 km. The total volume of dredging works is 3.5 million m3, of which 650,000 will be incorporated into the seashore as part of artificial nourishment (replenishment). The Main Eastern Breakwater will also be reconstructed and expanded in its southern and northern parts. A steel sheet pile wall will be installed along the breakwater, on both its sides and at the front. Meanwhile, the execution and repair of navigational aids will cover the approach fairway and the port entrance.
The contractor for the works will be a consortium of companies: Przedsiębiorstwo Robót Czerpalnych i Podwodnych Sp. z o.o. – Leader, Rohde Nielsen A/S – Partner, and Van den Herik Kust-en Oeverwerken B.V. – Partner.
The implementation of the project will contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the Polish economy by ensuring conditions for the sustainable development of trade based on water transport and thus increasing transshipments dispatched via inland sea routes.
Source: Port of Gdynia S.A.