More work needed on Heysham linkspan, says owners

It was damaged last August when the Manxman collided with a wall

More works are expected to be needed on the Heyham linkspan.

It's after the berth was damaged in August last year, when the Manxman collided with a wall as it was attempting to dock.

The vessel suffered minor damage, and its berth at the port was also hit during the incident.

While repair work was ongoing, foot passengers had to board and disembark via coaches because there was no safe route by foot between the terminal and the vessel.

Passengers had to be held until there was sufficient space on the vehicle decks for the coaches and it also took longer to load and unload freight.

Because of all that, there were delays for especially foot passengers getting on and off the ferry.

The damaged linkspan has been in use again since the start of the month, but Peel Ports Group, which owns the site, has told Manx Radio work isn't yet complete.

A spokesperson says the majority of the works have been carried out, as have some other improvements to hopefully benefit port users.

However, as there's an ongoing programme of maintenance and upgrades, it expects more work will be needed.

It says it will try to minimise the impact of these by avoiding major events or holidays and giving as much notice as possible.

It comes after the group announced plans to invest £10 million into Heysham Port to enhance its capacity and operational efficiency.