The Port Authority of Valencia awarded these works as an emergency to SACYR Construction, due to their ruinous state, impossible to restore, and the danger to navigation.

A crane installed on a 136-metre-long floating pontoon will remove the concrete platforms

The work began in December with the refurbishment of the area and will continue for several weeks

The project for the remodelling of the northern area of the Port of Sagunto is being carried out in two phases: the land area and the maritime part

 A 136-metre-long floating pontoon with a crane installed that has the capacity to load pieces weighing up to 1,400 tonnes is already working on the Port of Sagunto’s marshlands. With this operation, the concrete blocks and hoppers (devices similar to a large funnel used for depositing and channelling granular materials) will be removed from the structure of the marsh. These actions are part of the works to dismantle the Sierra Menera Dam deck, which the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) put out to tender by emergency procedure and awarded to the company SACYR Construcción, S.A.U. for 5,802,053.73 € (VAT included).

Previously, the workers have been working on the preparation and cutting of the slabs of section 3, the supply and assembly of load lifting outriggers, the placement of anchors with auxiliary vessels on which the pontoon carrying the crane will be fixed, etc. Some 50 blocks, mostly weighing 250 tonnes, are to be removed. The technicians will first proceed to remove the 5 hoppers weighing approximately 10 tonnes each, followed by the metal structures at the end of the pontoon and finally the concrete boards of the deteriorated structure of the pontoon.

“In December last year, work began on cutting section three, preparation, pre-cutting of pipes, with the multicat vessels, cranes, platforms and cutting equipment. The pontoon has now been installed for the removal of the first 70/80 tonne concrete blocks. Over the next three months, section by section, the entire quay, which is approximately one kilometre long, will be removed and the materials will be taken to the port for unloading”, explains Pablo Carrera, head of Projects and Works at the PAV.

The works on the Pier are in response to the emergency plan activated by the PAV after the last collapse of part of the infrastructure on 28 September 2023, where three spans fell, specifically 9, 10 and 11, those in the worst condition “without the need for a storm with the sea calm at sea, which showed the poor state of the installation which cannot be repaired”. The whole area was already marked out by Valenciaport after the first incidents. After studying and analysing the state of the marsh, and for safety reasons given the impossibility of limiting access to the area despite the signage, it was decided to dismantle the part at risk and these works were carried out to guarantee safety in the area.

City-port actions in Sagunto

It should be remembered that Valenciaport has already awarded COMSA. S.A.U. the work on the project “New promenade in the northern area of the Port of Sagunto” following a public tender in which five bids were submitted. The awarding of this work activates the construction of a promenade in the northern part of the port area of Sagunto which, giving continuity to the promenade of the municipality, will allow public use of this area and, in the future, public access to the Sierra Menera jetty. The work is scheduled to begin in the last quarter of this year and will take 12 months to complete.

This new promenade is conceived as a cultural, leisure and recreational activity centre for the citizens, so a series of activity areas have been created to enable the creation of museum areas, restaurants, children’s play areas, sports areas, etc. In this line, one of the main ideas of the project is to enhance the value of the heritage and historical character of the area. To this end, the new promenade is conceived as a space that combines leisure with a museum approach to the pontoon and Sagunto’s own industrial heritage.

The project contemplates constructive solutions with several areas such as: Roundabout and junction with Travesía del Mediterráneo street and Paseo Marítimo; Access stairs and starting area of the promenade; Central part of the promenade and activity area; Final area of the promenade and future link with the pier; Interaction area with the beach; Bicycle lane area. The project for the remodelling of the northern area of the Port of Sagunto is being developed in two phases. On the one hand, work will be carried out on the land area and, on the other hand, the maritime part.