New Gosport ferry pontoon not ready until next year
Ferry Online Travel News 28/06/2010
Originally hoped for this autumn, the new pontoon might be ready in the spring of 2011.
Gosport looks set to finally get its new ferry pontoon but not until the early part of 2011. The council was originally hoping the new pontoon could be completed by the autumn of this year but efforts to get the best price for the work have pushed delivery back to early next year.
As council leader Mark Hook explains, the delay has been caused by the process of settling on a specification and seeking the best price. Speaking Portsmouth’s The News, councillor Hook said that a revised specification had been sent to six firms bidding on the work and five had responded with quotes. Experts will now carefully review all of the documentation and the planning application for the pontoon will be considered by Gosport council on 13 July.
Assuming everything is approved, work could begin on the £5-million pontoon in October, with completion slated for early next year. Councillor Hook says the pontoon should hopefully be ready by February. The new pontoon will introduce a range of improvements, such as greater use of glass for a lighter, more-airy feeling and an improved access for people in wheelchairs and those using bicycles or push chairs.
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