UK port begins GB£4.3m ro-ro project

ABP Southampton’s project, costing GB£4.3m, will see buildings taken down and the space transformed to enable ro-ro car carriers to berth. This will play a critical role in the movement and trade of High and Heavy – typically exports of farm, construction or specialist machinery and vehicles.

Regional director for Southampton, Alastair Welch, said: “Continued investment around the port is essential and ensures that we stay one step ahead of adapting to our customers’ growing and changing needs.”

VTS building goes

The project will involve the former Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) building, which historically has been a prominent feature in the port’s skyline, taken down along with a dry goods storage shed in the Eastern Docks.

ABP’s investment is part of an ongoing programme of investment in infrastructure and quayside facilities to facilitate vessel size increases.

Southampton is the UK’s number one export port and primary automotive port, handling 900,000 cars every year.

By Rebecca Jeffrey