Four more months of repair work for wharf

Construction work to repair Heritage Wharf will continue throughout the cruise season, the Bermuda Sun can reveal.

Works & Egineering Minister Trevor Moniz said that the multi-million dollar repair project would not be fully completed until September.

And he told the Sun that some of remaining remedial work would be done while cruise ships were in port.

Asked when the wharf will be finished the Minister said: “No, it’s not complete. That’s a bit of a tough question.

“The guys are continuing to work at the moment to prepare for some concrete pours.

“They won’t do any more pouring until the ship (The Breakaway) has left.

“The guys will work through the weekend.

“There are more structures to be completed.

‘The wharf won’t be completed until September. We will finish the northern berthing mooring and those other structures will be finished.”

Further concrete pours on the northern berthing dolphin as well as construction of the northern and southern mooring dolphins are expected to take place in the coming weeks.

Although ‘quieter work’ will be done while Heritage Wharf is occupied, some construction will need to be done when the berth is empty.

But with the Norwegian Dawn and the Norwegian Breakaway using it between Sunday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Friday respectively until the beginning of October there will only be limited time when the wharf is not occupied.

Up until this week the Dawn had been forced to drop anchor off Dockyard and tender her passengers ashore due to ongoing work on Heritage.

A Transport spokesperson added: “With respect to a proposal to continue tendering passengers from the Norwegian Dawn, this is not necessary for the completion of the works and has not been proposed.

“The Dawn will come alongside the wharf (Heritage) on her next visit on Sunday 19th May.

“The final elements of the works can be undertaken with the ships alongside and during the periods when there are no ships moored to the dock.”

Mr Moniz praised contractors for working around the clock to ensure that Heritage Wharf was ready for the arrival of the Breakaway on Wednesday morning. 

He added: “We were put in this position. It’s a situation of where you get lemons and you’re trying to make lemonade.

‘It’s all contingent on the weather.

“Kudos to Richard Crossley, the engineer. I told him he had my full confidence and support.

“He came through. He did wonderful.

“All the construction crews worked through the night.

“They haven’t seen their families since this began. Sometimes the weather was inclement.”