Work has commenced this week on a major construction project to provide the P&O Ferries Division-owned Port of Cairnryan with new facilities to support its ferry operations on the Irish Sea.
Civil engineering contractors McLaughlin & Harvey have been appointed to provide a new roll-on/roll-off linkspan at the port. This replacement floating ramp structure will be used by the freight and tourist vehicles shipping with P&O Ferries’ services to and from Larne when it is completed at the end of the year.
James Esler, manager for P&O Ferries’ Scottish services, said: “The ferry crossing between Cairnryan and Larne is the shortest anywhere on the Irish Sea and is very popular with both our freight and tourist passengers. This investment will improve our product still further for the long term”
Keith Millar, managing director of the Port of Larne, said: “This is great news, not just for the Scottish end of the route but also for Larne and Northern Ireland.
“This project is clear evidence of P&O Ferries’ continued commitment to the ferry service between Cairnryan and Larne.”
In Northern Ireland, work is also already under way on the improvements to the A8 road, providing a high quality dual-carriageway link from the Port of Larne into the all-Ireland motorway network.
P&O Ferries operates seven sailings daily in each direction between Cairnryan and Larne and a seasonal fast craft service between Larne and Troon.
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