March 2011 will see the completion of a new quay at Leixoes, Portugal, enabling ships up to 300m long and 10m draught to come alongside.
The works began in October 2009 and comprise a 340m long and 18m wide quay, the enlargement of the rotation basin to 600m diameter, berths for tourism vessels and an embankment for the future passenger terminal.
A tender for the construction of the latter, designed by young architect Luis Pedro Silva, will be launched during 2010 and the terminal should be up and running in 2013. The project will also include a marina, parking areas for coaches and vehicles along the pier and indoors and direct access from the terminal to the city via a pedestrian walkway.
The terminal will also house the departments of science production and of the scientific dissemination of the science and technology park of the sea, an organisation that belongs to Porto University.
In 2010 Leixoes is expecting 55 calls and about 30,000 passengers. For 2011, the first year of the new quay, the port is expecting calls from vessels which are presently unable to call due to port limitations,says Marta Sa Lemos marketing and public relations Port Authority of Leixoes.
