KORČULA – Vela Luka is getting a new, four times larger ferry port
On the construction site of the Vela Luka Maritime and Passenger Terminal, works are being carried out according to a dynamic plan, and 85% of the works have been completed so far.
The director of the Vela Luka County Port Authority, Boris Žuvela, explained in detail what exactly is being built and how much this new port will relieve the municipality of Vela Luka, but also make it easier for the entire island of Korčula.
The goal of the project is to increase the capacity in coastal liner traffic
The goal of the project is to increase the capacity in coastal line traffic by moving the port from the center of Vela Luka to the new maritime passenger terminal in the area in front of the former “Jadranka” factory. This will give the local population better access to employment, education and other services throughout the year. The project plans to improve connectivity for island residents by public transport in the context of daily work (improved access to the workplace, education, medical care and other public services).
Installation works, the installation of polishers and fenders, as well as the preparation for the execution of work on the final treatment of the surfaces, are in progress. All stone covers and port lights are installed.
– I think this is currently one of the largest projects financed by the European Union, and at the same time the largest in Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The total value of the project is HRK 111 million, of which HRK 90 million is co-financed by EU funds. For us, these are completely free funds.
Three new piers for ferries up to 150 meters
With this money, three ferry piers will be built. Two will be for ferries up to 70 meters long, and one for ferries up to 150 meters long. The total length of the coast is 550 meters – explains Boris Žuvela. The area of the new Vela Luka port will be 4 and a half times larger than the previous one and will have an area of 18,000 m².
– The waterfront will be equipped with everything for the reception of passengers and vehicles, according to the most modern standards. The current ferry pier, unlike this new one, has only two piers and insufficient capacity to accommodate all the vehicles that can be loaded onto the ferries. For example, in the summer in the afternoon, we can have a four-fold transhipment, which congests not only the ferry port, but Vela Luka as a place – says Žuvela.
The new ferry port is located in the area of the former Jadranka fish processing factory, which has not been in operation for more than two decades. The premises are neglected and devastated. In a legal entanglement over ownership, this attractive plot of land with factory buildings was recently bought by Konzum.
The terminal is questionable, but prefabricated buildings will be built
However, since no terminal is planned in the new port, it seems that everything depends on the will of the private investor.
– I hope that suitable commercial spaces will be built there and will be in operation very soon. It was once thought that the contents of the terminal would be built in the factory area, but that did not happen. So it is planned that prefabricated facilities for ticket sales, a waiting room, a public toilet and for the port operator will be installed within the ferry pier. This should satisfy the needs of the functionality of the ferry pier, but I think that certain terminal areas will also be located on the premises bought by Konzum – said Žuvela.
According to the contract, the completion of the construction works of the new port is November 29, 2022, but the completion of the project is a year later.
– That period remained in case there were any defects until the technical inspection so that they could possibly be eliminated. We have certain problems with the sewerage to which the port is not connected because the Municipality of Vela Luka did not build the sewerage to the terminal. As far as I know, the public procurement was carried out, the contractor was selected and the works should start in mid-September and finish by mid-March 2023. So that it is ready and on time, because the ferry port will not be able to get a permit until it is connected to the sewage system – explains Žuvela.
The most inconvenient part is the arrival and departure from the port, because it is about 2 km to the place, around the Greben shipyard, which is located in between.
– When we were preparing the project for tender through EU funds, we had to commit that the Municipality would organize regular traffic, and it will be like that from 2023.
After the ferry, there is also a fishing port
A fishing harbor will be built near the ferry, which is another project that is being prepared.
– In the future, another 270 meters of coastline will be built for the needs of fishermen. It will not be a classic fishing port, but also a port for public transport. It is intended to be financed also from EU funds, this time for fisheries. We are in the preparation phase, that is, building permits.
When the new one is built, what will happen to the old port?
– The County of Dubrovnik-Neretva, as part of the contract for the nautical tourism marina, also agreed on the construction of a breakwater that rests on the current ferry pier, which should be extended in this way. The rest of the pier, I assume, will remain in the function of public purposes, such as parking and the like, because in the coming years it must not be used for commercial purposes – said Žuvela.
source: otoci.eu
