Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Holyhead, one of Britain’s busiest ports will remain closed until 15 January at the earliest after sustaining damage caused by Storm Darragh. The port was originally scheduled to reopen earlier in December 2021. Terminal 3 and Terminal 5 ferry berths – both of which were damaged – will need to remain unusable until authorities prioritize safety. The protracted closure follows two incidents affecting the Terminal 3 berth, which collapsed, making it unusable, leaving the port assessing its full extent of the damage.
Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Simon Harris said earlier that it was highly unlikely that the port would reopen before Christmas. Likewise, the closure had already led Ireland’s national postal service to abort plans to utilize Holyhead for Christmas deliveries. President of the Irish Road Haulage Association, Ger Hyland, said he was not surprised by the ongoing closure, but it continues to be detrimental to its members as well as the Irish and Welsh economies.
On average, two million passengers use Holyhead a year, and about 1,200 lorries and trailers make the crossing every day. The port apologized for the disruption on the main sea route between North Wales and Dublin in Ireland. The closure caused uncertainty as to whether the port would reopen before Christmas. However, the Welsh government stated they were hopeful it would open by 20 December.
Stena Line, one of the operators, has apologized, stating they were doing all they could to mitigate the effects of the closure. Ferries operators are offering sailings from Dublin to its ports in Birkenhead, Fishguard, and Heysham, as well as additional sailings from Belfast to Cairnryan to help passengers and trade flows.
Underwater inspections is still taking place to assess the full extent of the damage caused by the storm. The port closure is being managed through a coordinated effort between the Welsh government, the Port Authority, Stena Line, Irish Ferries, and Isle of Anglesey to minimize disruption and ensure public safety
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.