Full speed ahead on work for new £9m+ Woodside Ferry Terminal

Work is under way on delivering the new Woodside Ferry Terminal on the River Mersey.

This involves piling works in the river, demolition works on land and welding work in nearby warehouses.

It took five days to install two piles eight metres into the Mersey’s riverbed, using a barge with specialist drilling equipment. Made of steel and painted with water resistant coatings, the piles are two metres in diameter and 35 metres tall – as high as the North Stand at Everton’s new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.

The piles will allow the new landing stage to move up and down with the tide, with minimal sideways movement.

They also remove the need for a connecting boom and chains and anchors, reducing the level of maintenance required.

Sections of the new 52-metre-long landing stage pontoon are being constructed in a warehouse in Liverpool, prior to them being welded together at Huskisson Dock before they are transported across the river and attached to the new piles.

Passers-by will also have noticed the ticket office has been demolished and will be replaced with a new modern facility.

These works all follow-on from the removal of the 39-year-old landing stage, 110-tonne linkspan bridge and 45 tonne connecting boom in November last year.

The £9m-plus investment will help secure the long term viability of the important cultural asset as part of a major regeneration project to transform the area into a ‘vibrant and unique waterfront destination’ led by Wirral Council and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Welding works

Cllr Steve Foulkes, Chair of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Transport Committee, said: “This is a major engineering project which our team is delivering alongside our partners, to make sure services can return to Woodside as soon as possible.

“We’re really pleased to be playing our part alongside Wirral Council in the transformative regeneration that will be taking place over the next few years.

“Alongside our plans for a new ferry, these works highlight our commitment to the Mersey Ferries and their importance as a much beloved cultural asset for our city region.”

Cllr Paul Stuart, Leader of Wirral Council, said: “Woodside Ferry Terminal is a cornerstone of our ambitious regeneration programme for Birkenhead and Wirral.

“It’s fantastic to witness the significant progress on the ferry terminal. Mersey Ferries are not just a mode of transport; they are a symbol of our rich maritime heritage.”

He added: “The investment and broader plans for the Woodside area are bringing about a remarkable transformation, revitalising our waterfront and creating a vibrant, thriving community for years to come.”

The regeneration scheme is being made possible by Levelling Up Funding from Wirral Council, which, in 2024, consulted on a Masterplan to breathe new life into the area at the heart of which sits the £20m-plus Woodside infrastructure and active travel project to connect the Woodside Waterfront with Birkenhead Town Centre.

The Woodside Masterplan proposals include a vision for 1,700 homes, two new hotels, a major cultural attraction and an outside event space wrapping around the Ferry Terminal building.

The new landing stage and linkspan bridge is due for completion in summer 2025 and follows the multimillion-pound refurbishment of Seacombe Ferry Terminal, which reopened in 2022.

The upgraded terminals will be ready to welcome the new £26m Mersey Ferry due to be launched by the summer of 2026.