Member Article

Jones Bros completes marine improvement project for Stena Line

A project to improve efficiency and safety at a major commercial port in North Wales has been completed by Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK.

The Ruthin-based firm was appointed by Stena Line Ports Ltd to carry out land reclamation, earthworks, and surfacing to improve the site layout at Holyhead Port.

The contract involved the installation of rock armour on Salt Island, adjacent to the ferry terminal, to straighten out an existing waterfront embankment.

It required around 20,000 tonnes of rock, where an element of the total quantity was processed on site by Jones Bros’ own crushers, minimising vehicle journeys to and from the site and disruption to port operations.

And a five-phase plan, agreed with long-standing client Stena Line, ensured the work was carried out efficiently, says Hefin Lloyd-Davies, Jones Bros contracts director.

He said: “Both our and Stena’s ability to be flexible allowed us to carry out works across different areas of the site simultaneously, which meant the port could continue its day to day activities with ease.

“Working in and around water has specific challenges, so we took precautions, including the use of biodegradeable oils in heavy plant and machinery to protect marine life as well as planning and programming specific works around the local tide table.

“We first worked with Stena on the construction of Holyhead Port’s Terminal 3 in 2001, and are proud to have continued to carry out maintenance and capital projects at the site for the past 18 years.”

Steven Edwards, port engineering manager at Holyhead Port, said: “Stena Line Ports is extremely pleased with the work carried out by Jones Bros on this important project.

“The redevelopment of the Salt Island area allows a far more efficient operation for its freight and passenger vehicles. Not only was the work in itself complicated, the need to work around existing Ferry operations without disruption increased the complexity significantly.

“Stenaline, from working together over previous projects, had the confidence in Jones Bros to be able to deal with the potential issues and resolve them efficiently and effectively, and to reduce their impact before they arose.”

The project also involved the re-configuration of the freight areas for commercial trailers, segregated areas for cars and light vehicles, and the installation of new drainage systems, high security fencing, kerbing, upgraded lighting, and additional infrastructure for CCTV systems.

Jones Bros also provided a boost to the local economy, working closely with suppliers on the island. The family firm purchased stone, concrete, and tar macadam from the Hogan Group along with using the company as the main surfacing contractor for laying more than 19,000m2 of asphalt.

In addition, it has also engaged other local sub-contractors to carry out works including Owen & Palmer for the electrical works and Jones & Jones for the project’s fencing requirement.

Jones Bros, a specialist in marine infrastructure and defences, worked under a marine licence from Natural Resources Wales to allow it to operate in the port’s sensitive environment.

Holyhead is the second largest port in the UK, handling two million passengers, 500,000 vehicles and 450,000 freight units per year.

Stena Line operates 56 ferry crossings from Holyhead to Dublin per week.

Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros is now being run by the second and third generations of the founding family and employs more than 350 people.

It is currently working on contracts in various sectors including the construction of waste management facilities, highways, flood and marine defence, and renewable energy projects around the UK.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Harris .