Twelve Quays is a ferry terminal on the River Mersey in Birkenhead, Liverpool, which is used by Stena Line to serve ferry routes between Liverpool and Belfast.
In preparation for a new generation of RoPax vessels with two loading decks, Peel Ports approached Beckett Rankine in 2017 to develop a solution that would expand the terminal’s existing RoRo capability.
The work was a significant step in a £200m+ investment in ferries and port upgrades for the region.
The ferry terminal had a 70m x 30m twin-berth pontoon in place. The brief was to install a secondary roadway above the existing deck, without disrupting operations and sailings or increasing the footprint of the pontoon.
Working with naval architects, Houlder, we developed an additional 110m fixed bridge with a 60m steel linkspan connecting to a 400t pontoon upper-level roadway. Two additional monopile dolphins were also installed to accommodate the longer ships.
The pontoon has a series of ‘goal-post’ frames that enable vehicle movement on the lower deck while supporting the new, upper roadway.
Beckett Rankine supervised the construction that was carried out by Principal Contractor Farrans, who were supported by Ravestein B.V and Royal HaskoningDHV.
The lightweight structure was designed to be installed in situ between vessel sailings. The existing structures made it difficult to position cranes, so Farrans used a tandem lift to raise the new linkspan into position.
The work was completed in January 2020, with the first sailing taking place in March 2020.
In 2025, Beckett Rankine returned for a 4-day inspection of the whole berth and approach as part of standard monitoring and asset management practice.
Video: A timelapse of the linkspan installation.
Credit: Farrans
