$80 million wharf project on track for June completion

By Elizabeth Ah-Hi 24 March 2018, 12:00AM

Improvements to the wharf at Matautu should be completed in June 2018.

Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (J.I.C.A.), $80 million project started two years ago. The renovations will include a new wharf extension by 137 meters for the safe mooring of cruise ships.

The container yard and pavement will also be reconstructed, which will see the container yard space increase to 23,000m2 from 17,000m2.

This will create more than twice the capacity for container storage/stacking of up to 80,000 T.E.U. a year. 

The General Manager of the Samoa Ports Authority, So’oalo Kuresa Sooalo, said while they are turning down requests of larger cruise liners, they look forward to accepting them after July when the work is completed.

“It will increase our capacity to handle any large cargo ships and cruise liners,” he said. “It will greatly assist Samoa in its economic development and it’s crucial that we have a large port so that we can get the big ships coming in terms of tourism, we can now accommodate larger ships.”

Samoa Ports Authority Port Master, Tomane L Tomane said the Enhancement of Safety for the Apia port project will also include installation of marine fenders which greatly assists in preventing damage to boats, ships and other naval vessels from colliding against each other or docks and wharves.

There is also rehabilitation works planned for two tugboats and to the navigational lights, which are being converted to L.E.D

By Elizabeth Ah-Hi 24 March 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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