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Port of Townsville has appointed local contractor CivilPlus Constructions to complete a critical piece of work as part of the port’s $251 million Channel Upgrade project.
CivilPlus Constructions will carry out a $1.5 million works package to shorten the Eastern Breakwater, making way for channel widening at the inshore end of the Port’s 14.9km shipping channels and allowing for larger vessels to access the Port from the end of 2024.
The Channel Upgrade project, commenced in March 2020, is stage one of a 30-year, $1.6b Port Expansion Project.
The 30-year plan will reclaim a total 158ha of port land, see the construction of six new berths and associated infrastructure and facilitate three-fold trade growth across a broad range of new and existing industries.
“CivilPlus is a Townsville-owned businesses, headed by two born and bred locals who have proven to deliver consistently high-quality results in marine projects for almost 20 years,” said General Manager Project Delivery, David McLoughlin.
“Their team will be tasked with the removal of 10,000m 3 of material to shorten the existing breakwater by approximately 70m and allow capital dredging to continue at the entry to the port’s inner harbour,” said Mr McLoughlin.
CivilPlus will also place approximately 5,000 tonne of new armour rock on the shortened breakwater. Rock has been sourced locally from quarries in Townsville and Ravenswood.
Shortening of the Eastern Breakwater will begin tomorrow, November 2, 2023.