Barcelona-based Transport engineering company ADELTE is to install tailor-made passenger boarding bridges at several cruise ports this year and next.
The company has won contracts to fit bridges at Barcelona, Seattle, Miami and Cherbourg.
ADELTE claimed that it designs boarding bridges that not only meet the maritime transport needs of today but are also responding to the challenges of the future, creating solutions adapted to each cruise and ferry terminal, which have different needs
Miami is the world’s major cruise port. Last year, five million cruise passengers passed through its facilities. In 2017, the cruise ship ‘MSC Seaside’ will be based at Miami and ADELTE will design and build two customised seaport passenger boarding bridges (SPBBs) for its berth at Terminal F.
Since the ship’s deck is 2.8 m high, a new type of telescopic four-section unit has been designed. Both SPBBs will be shipped fully assembled from Barcelona to Miami to speed up the installation time.
In another US port, Seattle, Norwegian Cruise Line has also opted for an ADELTE KRONUS type mobile telescopic boarding bridge and an enclosed elevated walkway to connect with the terminal building. This system was specifically designed to serve the ‘Norwegian Bliss’ and other NCL ships when she starts calling at the Bell Street Cruise Terminal in 2018.
Meanwhile at Barcelona, where ADELTE already has extensive experience in delivering 15 boarding bridges, a new project will add two more bridges. Carnival Corp is currently building one of the largest cruise terminals in the world at the Adossat Pier.
This new Terminal E, designed by architects Batlle i Roig, will incorporate two HYDRA model bridges, exclusively designed and manufactured for Carnival, due to the record distance of 9 m between the edge of the quay and the structure of the boarding bridge, anticipating its future use by mega-cruise ships.
In France, Cherbourg’s Gare Maritime Transatlantique is a protected architectural passenger terminal, meaning that any modifications must comply with the requirements of the Architect of Monuments of France s. ADELTE will install a specially designed boarding bridge,integrated with the architecture of the terminal building. This new bridge will replace an older bridge, which has been classified as a ‘historical monument.
In Asia and Africa, in the ports of Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan and Béjaïa in Algeria ADELTE is modernising their facilities with boarding bridges for their regular ferry services. At Béjaïa, the busiest ferries are plying between Algeria and France and Spain, while Turkmenbashi is a gateway linking various cities on the Caspian Sea.
Both ports are in the process of creating modern infrastructure with faster embarking and disembarking services, designed to manage passengers in the most efficient and safe way.
Also in Asia, the Taiwanese port of Keelung will soon be fitted with a second ADELTE boarding bridge, based on the SEDNA model, incorporating an additional docking cabin positioned on the other side of the bridge. This innovation will improve operability, flexibility and guarantee that all cruise vessels will benefit from the best facilities, the company claimed.
“Each port has particular characteristics depending on their traffic, architecture and infrastructure. Our design innovations mean our bridges are highly versatile and can be adapted to different types of docks, ships and facilities, making for faster project delivery,” said Jordi Floreta, ADELTE’s Vice President and Commercial Director.
