Description of the most important works

The work consisted of setting up a new rainwater drainage network on the wharves to prevent the rainwater from flowing directly into the river estuary.

New manifolds with decanting stormwater drains, new surface paving to adapt it to the new slopes needed, and a large stormwater tank to regularise the water have been built.

In turn, new piping to supply raw water has been installed to clean and flush the operations surface of the wharf, and the fibre optic and electricity piping has been restored.

The works consisted of reorganising and developing a 50,197 m2 port area, including the access road to the loading area and to the future terminal, along with the prior inspection controls at the restricted loading area of the Maritime Terminal.

The paving has been designed with a road surface of hot bituminous concrete-type compounds, except for the area of the inspection controls prior to the restricted loading area which has concrete paving. The development was completed with the infrastructures required for the planned use of this area: drainage, sanitation and supply facilities, lighting, communications and control. The work has also included enclosures, signage and beaconing, and defining the control areas (concourses, control equipment, ancillary buildings).

Avenida Francisco Montenegro is the main road that connects the city of Huelva and the inner port to the outer port. The avenue is nearly 5 km long and was not suitable for pedestrians along its whole length.

The work consisted of refurbishing and developing this Avenue and the edge of the frontages of the adjoining plots in order to integrate it into the city and for it to no longer be an industrial avenue.

The upgrading of the Avenida Francisco Montenegro included the following actions:

• Making a new two-metre landscaped reservation for the avenue to better blend into the setting.
• Removing the existing railway line (recovering and reusing the materials).
• Laying pavements with the same surface paving to that on the righthand side of the avenue.
• Concrete pavement milling and laying a new bearing layer with SMA 11, with low noise impact and proven durability.
• Relaying the existing fibre cement pipes under the pavement to be demolished and rebuilt.
• Creating parking places, particularly in the area around the Huelva Yacht Club.
• Upgrading the timber walkway along the right side of the avenue according to the study at APH.
• Adaptation of the electricity cables for the designed facilities, including lighting while respecting the type of recently installed lamps in the area and LEDs.
• Aesthetics and landscaping, creating gardening similar to the one to be found locally and "green screens" on the left side.
• Landscaping slopes and green areas and creating recreational spaces.

In 2016, Huelva Port Authority instigated a prior assessment of its protection and security needs, which led to the tendering of works for the "Installation of a Perimeter Security System for the Port of Huelva. Phase 1", which were implemented during the first half of 2017, and which basically consisted of conveniently demarcating and protecting the perimeter and entrances of the Outer Port.

Phase 2 of the Perimeter Security Project was carried out in order to complete the installation and provide the perimeter of the Outer Port Service Zone with a greater degree of protection. That involved installing a new fibre optic line, along with integrating new protection and surveillance elements with the existing ones.

Thus, the perimeter security of the port is approached from a converging, global and integral way; by fully integrating all the electronic and mechanical elements and systems, whose mission is to protect virtual, logical or physical perimeters to detect, stop and dissuade possible intrusion into their facilities.

The works consisted of upgrading the access road to the South Wharf between pk 0+000 and pk 3+640, along with the widening from pk 3+640 to pk 7+380 of that same road.

 The first section only requires the road surface to be treated, except in those sections where the platform is widened due to upgrading intersections. The second section requires the platform widened to a total width of 18 m so that there is room for 2 two-lane carriageways, with each having a central reservation of 80 cm marked off by curbs and markers. The lanes will be 3.30 m to keep the speed down.

 On the other hand, a series of underpasses are planned to solve the intersection crossing. That will to ensure that the road does not have any gauge limitations and the underpass at p.k. 4+328 will also be reinforced so it can be used by cranes and vehicles with special loads.

 Finally, the power and telecommunications facilities were connected and the lighting is by means of 12m-high columns with LED lights.

The works consist of lengthening the current South Wharf at the Port of Huelva by 526 m. The structural typology will be a screen spring with a main screen anchored to an anchor wall behind. Both screens will be sheet piles.

The work initially envisages two different draught areas, one 10m draught (southern half) and another with 6m draught (northern half). However, the wharf design allows its draught to be adapted to the future needs of Huelva Port Authority up to a maximum of 17 metres draught.

The crest elevation of the wharf is the +6.50 m elevation (approximately, given that the surface has drainage slopes). The capping beam and the back guideway of the container cranes are made out of reinforced concrete and they function as pier cap beams of the sheet pilling.  The back guideway of the gantry crane is also made out of reinforced concrete and is anchored on reinforced concrete pillars.

Furthermore, an area has been paved and it is 40.75 m wide including the capping beam and the guideways using 0.28m thick HP-40 reinforced concrete on a forecourt that is 1.00 m thick. The finish is then provisional with a 1.25m thick layer of quarry run.

A new multipurpose building is needed due to the growth in Ro-Ro and passenger traffic in recent years. It will be used to manage the embarking and disembarking of passengers, and as the premises for the port services and police and customs control and inspection services.  Therefore, the plan is to build a multipurpose building to act as a passenger terminal with a carpark adjacent to the building.

The three-storey Multipurpose Building will occupy a total surface area of 2,392.35 m2 on the South Wharf concourse next to the existing Ro-Ro ramp.

It will also be the base for port management, passenger control, telecommunication and security. Thus, the Civil Guard and National Police access security controls, passenger control and customs office will be in the new premises.  There will also be different waiting areas for passengers, a café, information point, check-in and ticket sales, along with offices for the use of the shipping companies that operate the different regular lines to the South Wharf at the Port of Huelva.

The design will be one-off and innovative, with a large cantilever as the main passenger entrance and the whole of upper part will be covered with vegetation.

Huelva Port Authority has placed great emphasis on the Port-City interface in recent years. The complete remodelling of the Levante Wharf is envisaged as part of that endeavour.  Therefore, the different actions include the partial demolition of the fish auction unit and the exporters’ premises, the construction of the new fish auction centre and new warehouses for fish and shellfish exporters.

The new fish auction centre and the exporters’ new warehouses are already completed. Therefore, this stage will involve the remaining demolition work, consisting of the partial demolition of the former fish auction unit and of the exporters’ premises still standing, in order to continue advancing with the full remodelling of the wharf.