Green light for floating pontoon on Cork Marina

The way has finally been cleared for the development of a new floating pontoon to replace a crumbling concrete slipway on Cork’s Marina.

It follows confirmation of a foreshore lease from the Department of Environment, which advertised the proposed project last year.

The department put the project out for public consultation but said it received no submissions.

It has now cleared the way for the project to proceed.

It is expected that tenders will be sought before the end of the month, in the hope that the new pontoon will be in place before the end of the summer.

Cllr Laura McGonigle (FG) welcomed the progress and confirmed the pontoon will be a public facility owed and managed by Cork City Council.

The concrete slipway was built in 1960, but in recent years its surface has disintegrated and almost the entire structure has parted from the quay wall.

In June 2010, the city council approved plans to replace it with a floating structure. Detailed plans were prepared and a Foreshore Lease has now been granted.

Engineers opted to install a floating pontoon for a number of reasons, including budgetary constraints.

Among the issues they had to consider were the condition of the existing quay wall and shore ground.

Costs would have soared if major engineering works to the old quay wall and the area behind it had to be carried out.

A floating pontoon will require minimal works.

Certain limitations were imposed by the Foreshore Unit, and consideration for Port of Cork activities was also taken in to account.

The pontoon will sit six metres off the quay side — the maximum distance acceptable to the Port of Cork to maintain a safe width from shipping traffic.