Falmouth marina takes shape

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

THE NEW cruise-ship terminal can be seen and the throb of machinery heard from the road into Falmouth, Trelawny, just over the famed bridge near the mouth of the Martha Brae River.

From that distance the pier is a white, rocky peninsula on which stalks of machinery pay homage to the heavens.

The steady drone of heavy equipment is punctuated by a rhythmic slam and clusters of workers' neon safety vests are visible across the harbour.

A metal fence separates the pier project from the town with which it is intended to have a symbiotic relationship - Falmouth supplying the old world charm and people, the pier housing the ships that are slated to come in, starting on November 3, providing the curious hordes seeking new thrills in a new port.

The extent of the fence indicates the size of the project and before going on to the man-made peninsula, The Sunday Gleaner follows it to its end, zig-zagging through Falmouth's streets.

The warnings are clearly posted - 'No ID, no entry'; 'No trespassing, guard dogs on duty'.

Overhang expected

Still, although the probing of the new peninsula into the harbour and the length of the chain-link fencing indicate the extent of the project, it is the point of view near where the bow of the first ship is slated to dock in less than 10 weeks that its gargantuan nature hits home.

The apron, with the mooring stanchions, extends a mind-boggling distance to the tip of the peninsula, but the employee who gives The Sunday Gleaner a walk-through says the ship's stern will jut out well past land. Mooring dolphins are being put in place to accommodate the overhang.

That is on the north side of the pier, which will be used first, where dredging has now left a depth of minus 12 metres.

The work is going at a frenetic, though not apparently frantic, pace and even as he notes that there is still a lot of work to do, our project tour guide is sure that the job will be completed as scheduled.

High-end retail shops are a major part of the project and while the shells of the buildings are being put up, the shop owners will configure the interiors.

The buildings on the north side of the pier are being finished first and there is scaffolding still around a trio of the grey-walled buildings, while two more show multiple blank eyes to sea and sky through the roofless, windowless walls which have been put up.

The prefabricated walls are being cast in place and then put up, minimising transportation.

The bow of the ship on the north side will point towards an extensive taxi parking area which is intended to ease congestion in Falmouth considerably - seeing that Water Square is intended for pedestrians only - while the ship on the south side will face the tour bus parking.

Work progressing

At this stage, the sheet metal rammed into the sea floor as the first line of buffering against the waves is exposed at the peninsula's tip and going around to the pier's south side.

A coffer dam is erected to protect the concrete in the early stages and the last one is being erected on the south side, closer to where the land had stopped before construction began. That stage is almost over and The Sunday Gleaner watches as one long sheet of the protective metal is transferred from one position to another in the water, silt dripping from its lower extremities.

Three men guide both metal and the driver of the crane hoisting the metal into optimum position.

It is explained that most of the workers on the pier project are from Falmouth and other communities in Trelawny, although some persons with specialised skills are brought in from Kingston.

There are no shops up - not even shells - on this south side of the pier and the plaza which should be between them is also yet to be made.

The new Falmouth pier site is a hive of activity, trucks constantly coming in from across the main road where a huge area is being prepared for development, crossing over where the tour buses will be parked.

Smaller vehicles scurry about, leaving trails of dust behind them. There is a huge pile of rock near the end of the south side; an area of 'peaty' soil is being excavated at about where the old land meets the new.

There are two and a half months to go for the project to undergo its final transformation from a bustling worksite which huge amounts of money have been sunk to an ultra-modern pier where huge amounts of money will flow in.

The neon-coloured safety vests will be replaced in multiples by the bright faces of those eager for a new cruise-ship experience.

Getting it all ready is obviously going to take some doing.