Ghent Port Company is building a new quay wall at the Moervaart canal in port of Ghent. Adjacent businesses will be able to make use of this new port infrastructure in the course of 2015, which will enhance the safe and smooth loading and unloading of vessels. The Port Company will invest €8.7 million in the wall.
The quay wall will be built over a length of 1km from the corner of the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal with the Moervaart up to the bridge over the R4-East. The new quay wall will consist of steel sheet pile walls and will be constructed two metres in front of the existing one. The current quay wall is very dated, due to corrosion. Work has previously been carried out on this part of the Moervaart to keep the floor level and the present quay wall stable. In the future, the fairway will also be broadened.
The work will cost €8 million in all. For the Port Company, this is the biggest investment it will make in 2014 from its total port infrastructure budget of €19 million. Investing in, and maintaining, the port infrastructure is one of Ghent Port Company’s tasks.
The companies in the vicinity of the Moervaart quay are active in the sectors of food, animal feed, kerosene, biofuels and building materials, among others.
LIMITING NUISANCE
The work started on 1 September 2014, and will take until the end of 2015. During the first three months, preparations will be made on the construction site so that the construction of the quay wall can start at the end of 2014. Its execution will be carried out in several phases in order to keep the hindrance for the adjacent companies to a minimum. The work will be executed by the Hye construction company.
THE MOERVAART
The Moervaart canal is 22km long and connects the Ghent–Terneuzen canal with the river Durme. Economically speaking, the canal has but little importance left. Only 1.5km is used for port activities, for the rest it is a haven for pleasure cruising between Ghent and Lokeren.