Paving begins on the new Port Tarragona Balears Wharf esplanade
The surfacing will take several days and cover the entire 3.8-hectare esplanade
The types of paving will meet the specific needs of each area of the wharf depending
on the use to which it is to be put
The Port Tarragona Balears Wharf is entering a new construction phase with the
agglomerate paving of the 3.8-hectare esplanade. The area closest to the dockside, the
manoeuvring area, will also be surfaced with concrete as it will bear the greatest loads.
The first phase began on 16 August with the concrete surfacing of the first 210 m of the
wharf, coinciding with the rear esplanade. With the work starting this week, the interior roads
of the esplanade and the parking area will be paved. Once this has been completed, the
concrete paving of the rest of the wharf can be continued.
With the paving work already underway, the Balears Wharf is already beginning to take on
the definitive appearance it will have when operations begin. In parallel to the surfacing, the
final tasks of installing the defences and bollards are being carried out. Lamp-posts and 27-
metre lighting towers have also been installed to illuminate the wharf.
Prepared for the future
This new infrastructure will enable the Port to welcome more visitors in improved conditions.
The total berthing line will be 700 metres, as along 270 of the 460 metres it will be possible
to berth on both sides, adding to the area of the Llevant breakwater. This means that the
number of vessels that can dock simultaneously and also accommodate the largest cruise
ships in the world has been doubled.
The Port of Tarragona has conceived this wharf as a multipurpose facility to receive different
types of port traffic both now and in the future. Currently, the priority is to use it for passenger
cruise ships, an operation that is expected to begin in the middle of this year. The new
infrastructure will have a very long operating life and its design allows it to be converted for
operations with solid bulks and other types of cargo if necessary.
