The Port of Holyhead is to benefit from the UK Government’s Spring Budget which has pledged to give the Welsh Government £20m to help secure the future of the breakwater at the ferryport on Anglesey.
The historic breakwater which is the longest 2.39km (1.5 miles) in the UK, is built from the rocks of a nearby quarry at Holyhead Mountain and involved a construction period of 25 years. This saw work began in 1848 until its completion in 1873.
Over the decades and recent (storms) battering the rocks positioned in front of the vertical wall has been steadily lowering due to action of the waves and the grinding down pf rocks into smaller pieces. In turn these pieces are washed off the mound.
The eroding process affecting the breakwater has led to concerns that this will leave the vertical wall at risk of collapse in the coming years.
A breach of the Victorian-era breakwater would allow large waves into the Holyhead outer harbour and make the port untenable for users.
The north Wales port is where services by Stena Line and Irish Ferries (including a seasonal fast-ferry) operate on the route to Dublin Port. Ferries berthing at Holyhead use the Salt Island terminal which is connected to the mainland by a road causeway.
The port is owned by Stena Line Ports Ltd which are working with Royal HaskoningDHV, the Dutch engineering consultants based in Amersfoort, is in discussion to the construction of a long-term and robust refurbishment.
More NorthWalesLive reports on the budget's funding of the proposed project which overall would cost approximately £100m.
