The newest shipping terminal in Britain, Liverpool2, has encountered an unexpected and unwelcome issue – the appearance of a rather large sinkhole.
The owner of the terminal, Peel Ports, has confirmed that a “cavity” had opened at the site and that the affected area has been sealed off while a probe into the collapse continues.
When asked for comment, a spokesperson from Peel Ports said, “We have been aware of a potential issue in the area for a few weeks. This has resulted in the appearance of a cavity on the berth of Liverpool2”.
“We have taken immediate action to ensure the safety of all port staff and visitors and have opened an investigation into the cause of the issue which we are looking to resolve as soon as possible.
“The terminal remains open although the access to the area affected is restricted. The crane commissioning is continuing as planned.”
The state-of-the-art terminal complex only opened in November last year (2016). The USD $500 million complex is a state-of-the-art ocean gateway for UK importers and exporters with road, rail and canal connections linking directly to the heart of the UK mainland, accessing a catchment of over 35 million people, almost 58% of the UK’s population.
The complex at Liverpool had to deal with more issues last month (January 2017), as lorry drivers and dock workers gathered to protest over the lack of facilities at container terminals 1 and 2.
