Wirral's independent local news website
The refurbishment of Seacombe Ferry Terminal is one of six innovative engineering projects that have been unveiled as voting opens for the 2022 Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) People’s Choice Award.
The People’s Choice Award showcases the best of civil engineering, recognising projects that have a positive impact on the local economy, while highlighting the positive benefits civil engineering has on communities.
The shortlisted projects range from a new container port in Nigeria to the restoration of a peat bog on the English-Welsh border.
They also include an elegant bridge connecting communities in Glasgow, flood defences in Lincoln, an innovative sewage treatment works in County Durham, and the renovation of a Grade II-listed ferry terminal on the River Mersey at Seacombe.
Members of the public are invited to vote online for their favourite project. The public vote opened today and runs for six weeks, closing at 5pm on Tuesday 18 October. The winner will be announced soon after voting closes.
The shortlisted schemes are:
Wendy Blundell, Director ICE Regions, said, “These fantastic projects show the sheer variety of civil engineering, and the extraordinary benefits it brings to people everywhere. It is a joy to see how infrastructure can connect and protect communities, restore nature and heritage, and come up with innovative ways to educate and cut carbon. I am very excited to see which one the public crowns as 2022’s People’s Choice Award winner.”
Last year’s winner was the National Botanic Garden of Wales Regency Restoration project in Carmarthenshire, which took five years to complete at a cost of more than £7 million. It is the largest project of its kind undertaken in Wales and included two new lakes, bridges, dams, cascades, a waterfall and an extensive network of paths, all set in 300 acres of wooded parkland.
In a UK-first, the 130-year-old Grade II listed Seacombe Ferry Terminal was refurbished, securing the long-term viability of this important cultural asset.
Seacombe’s ferry terminal has been providing passage across the River Mersey for years, with the first records dating as far back as 1515. Part of the world-famous Mersey Ferry service, it caters for two distinct customers – regular commuters and day-trippers alike.
For the refurbishment, linkspan bridges which connect land to the ferry, were removed and replaced.
The landing stage benefitted from a major refurbishment, including upgrading the mooring bollards (tie-up points for mooring lines) and installing new powered gangways (or walkways), bringing the structure into compliance with modern standards and ensuring accessibility for all.
The job entailed risky work in active shipping lanes, a coordinated effort around the tidal timetable, and work with assets buried deep at the bottom of the River Mersey.
The improved landing stage is operational and won’t need any further major maintenance for a quarter of a century.
The terminal is ready to serve as an important infrastructure link to the Eureka! Science + Discovery Centre, currently under construction and set to open later this year.
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