Parking to be suspended for £1.4m pontoon replacement project

Wednesday 03 January 2024

Parking at the East Arm of North Beach will be suspended from next week while £1.4m. of upgrades are carried out to the QEII Marina.

D and E pontoons are being removed and replaced in a project that will last around 12 weeks from Monday.

Traffic & Highways Services will temporarily re-zone three central blocks (114 spaces) of three hour parking at North Beach to a 10-hour time limit while the East Arm is unavailable.

Guernsey Ports aim to return parking that is no longer required as the project progresses.

D & E pontoons cater for some of the largest vessels in the marina.

The majority of the 130 vessels berthed on them are being relocated in the St Peter Port marinas. However, around 20 motor cruisers that are 12-16 metres long will need to be craned out and stored temporarily on stands on the East Arm.

Suppliers Walcon Marine are expected to ship the new galvanised steel mooring pontoons into the island later this month. 

These pontoons will measure around 500 metres once fully assembled.

As part of the project, the concrete piles which support the pontoons will be reinforced.

Guernsey Ports head of operations Jerome Davis said: “The East Arm will be used to store boats, pontoons and provide sufficient, safe working space for the project, which will involve regular use of heavy machinery and the phased removal and replacement of mooring pontoons.

“For operational reasons and the close proximity of D and E pontoons, the East Arm of North Beach is the most suitable location for this.

“We are working closely with our suppliers, contractors, operational teams and Traffic & Highways Services to optimise the delivery schedule and mitigate any disruption as much as possible. We will look for any opportunities to return space that is no longer required as the project progresses.”