A new cross-sound ferry terminal has been opened at New Haven in the Falkland Islands
The £1.5M construction project was paid for by the Falkland Islands Government and was the largest project undertaken by its Public Works Department. It took 12 months to complete and was delivered on time.
The ferry and coastal shipping vessel, Concordia By, operated by Workboat Services Ltd (WSL), will run a regular ferry service from the terminal, linking East and West Falkland between New Haven and Port Howard.
WSL took delivery of the new vessel in June this year, it having sailed via Port Elizabeth in South Africa from Miri in Indonesia where it was built.
The ro-ro facility will act as the home terminal for Concordia Bay and will facilitate the movement of containerised general cargo, as well as providing passenger and vehicle services between the two main islands and to other outer islands in the Falklands archipelago.
The ferry service previously ran between a small jetty at Port San Carlos and the cargo service ran from a small commercial wharf in Stanley Harbour. It is anticipated that the traffic level of the East-West ferry service will greatly exceed that of the previous interim service.
Commenting on the new terminal, Councillor John Birmingham, who holds the Legislative Council’s Transport Portfolio, said: “By increasing the frequency of movements and having the capability to carry heavy trucks between the East and West Islands, the new terminal and ferry service will have a hugely beneficial impact on Islanders’ lives.
“We expect the new facility to have an immediate and measurable impact on the Islands’ economy, and as such, New Haven represents a significant milestone in our economic development and a major element in the delivery of our Islands Plan.”
