Cost of exterior jetty and Cala En Busquets Marina estimated at 36 million Euros

Plans for Ciutadella´s jetty to be officially presented in July

"Ocean Village". Large cruise ships will be able to dock instead of anchoring at sea

The construction of a breakwater to the seaward side of the jetty means that the height of the jetty can be reduced to 4.5 m., causing less visual impact

CHRISTINE M. WATtERSON.Maó

details of the plans for Ciutadella´s new exterior jetty have been released, although the actual design will not be offically presented until July of this year.

The new structure will be more than 400 metres long and will rise 4.5 metres above sea level.

The project, drawn up by the company Europrincipia, envisages a first-line jetty which will act as a reef, made from reinforced concrete blocks. This will be curved in shape, 25 metres in width and between 1.25 and 2.5 metres high. Between this breakwater and the main jetty there will be 35 metres width of space with little swell.

According to the company, this system will allow the height of the jetty to be reduced to 4.5 metres, when in the majority of ports it is normally up to 11 metres in height, with Barcelona´s breakwater being 6 metres high.

The main exterior arm will be oval-shaped on the outside and straight on the inner (as in a half moon) and therefore varying in width from 35 to 60 metres. The depth is estimated as between 20 and 25 metres.

The jetty will primarily be used for maritime traffic and passengers and not for industrial use. It will allow the simultaneous docking of a cruise ship, of up to 230 metres in length, and two boats.

The project includes a mooring quay, 230 metres long, and two more of 160 and 150 metres in length. A fourth area, 70 metres in length, will allow tugs to berth.

The blocks of concrete to be used in the construction of the project will be transported by sea from the mainland, empty. Before installation they will be filled with cement and sand.

The Director General of Ports, Cristobal Huguet, says that the "double jetty" system involves the latest technology and that the initial estimated cost will be increased as a result but that it will not exceed the predicted budget.

The Balearic Government estimates the combined cost of the jetty and the Cala en Busquets marina at 36 million euros. The two projects, drawn up by Europrincipia and Sener respectively, will be offically presented in July before the period of public exhibition during which objections can be lodged.

Port terminal in use next month

According to the outgoing Director General of Ports, Cristobal Huguet, the new port terminal in Ciutadella will be in a position to offer services to visitors arriving by sea for the fiestas of Sant Joan towards the end of June.

Although the new building will not be completely finished, the waiting room, duly air-conditioned, should be ready for use by the fiesta-goers and will hopefully avoid a repetition of last year´s situation when queues of passengers awaiting the sailing of their boats had to wait in broad sunlight.

The new terminal is being constructed on the site of the old Infrime building and should be completed by July. The waiting room and cafeteria will offer passengers a splendid view of the port through glass walls.

The one-storey building will provide the Guardia Civil with an office as well as space for shipping companies and car hire firms.The interior will feature a landscaped garden.