A new 40m access Bridge has been installed at Pwllheli marina, as a £2.2m extension project nears completion.
Jones Bros has been carrying out both maintenance works and substantial improvements to the marina, including dredging works, construction of new floating pontoons and a new quay wall.
The project will create new deep berths, primarily for use by visiting yachts and motorboats, while the pontoons will also be used by the North Wales Sailing Academy Events Centre.
The 3.05m wide, 17-tonne bridge, supplied by marine specialists Walcon Marine, was lifted into place by a 250-tonne mobile crane and heralds the final phase of the project, which will be completed in the coming weeks.
Walcon, which has a long-standing relationship with Pwllheli and its marina, also supplied and installed the pontoons for phase one of the project.
Project manager Hefin Lloyd-Davies said: “There have been a number of challenges we’ve overcome since starting work in January.
“Our work has included constructing a 140m long stone bund in the marina to create an area of containment, which has allowed us to store more than 160,000 tonnes of dredged material.
“We also built an 80m quay wall which will allow access to the marina via the new access bridge.
“The new bridge was transported to site in three sections and constructed using a 30-tonne crane.
“It’s fixed on one side, using a pivot system bolted into the concrete bank seat, while the other end of the bridge sits on floating pontoons on rollers. This means that when the tide goes up and down, the bridge follows suit, and being fixed one side, the other side will just move with the tide.
“The marina looks great, and we’re happy to see what has been a challenging project come to a close.”
As part of its work, Jones Bros worked closely with Gwynedd Council to identify ways to recycle and reuse the materials dredged and removed from the new marina basin. The reclaimed materials have been placed within the contained area to create a land reclamation area within the marina, which in time will be used as a public landscaped area.
Councillor John Wynn Jones, Gwynedd Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy said: “I am delighted to see work progressing well on the new Pwllheli Sailing Academy project.
“These new pontoon and harbour facilities will be used to attract and host more events and competitions to the area.
“They will also be important facilities for the community which hopefully can be used to develop and promote watersports and the outdoor sector locally.”
The family-owned company is a specialist in marine and coastal defence work. In North Wales alone, it has constructed new sea defences for Tywyn, Meirionnydd, a roll-on, roll-off ferry facility for Stena at Holyhead, and built Deganwy Marina.
The £8.3m scheme to extend the marina and build the new Pwhelli Sailing Academy is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Welsh Government and Gwynedd Council.
Founded in the 1950s, Jones Bros employs a total of 300 people. It operates across the UK in sectors including construction of waste management facilities, highways and renewable energy projects such as wind farms.
