McLaughlin & Harvey wins £24m Shields Ferry landing contract

Work on a replacement landing at North Shields Fish Quay will begin early this year, with a target completion date of 2028.

Shields Ferry operator Nexus has awarded the £23.9m design-and-build contract to Belfast-based contractor McLaughlin & Harvey.

The new ferry landing will support the 400,000 people who use the service linking North Shields and South Shields each year. The current North Shields landing, situated at Smiths Dock, has begun to fail – thus necessitating a replacement to secure the 750-year-old ferry service’s future.

Paul Welford, major projects director at Nexus, said: “Following a detailed tendering process the contract has been awarded to McLaughlin & Harvey, a company which has an outstanding track record in civil engineering and specialist construction projects.”

Welford described the contract award announcement as “a big step forward for the project” and “crucial for the long-term sustainability of ferry operations on the Tyne”.

He added: “Building a new landing at the regenerated North Shields Fish Quay ensures a bright future for the Shields Ferry, which is a vital and much-loved local transport link, one that has great historical significance.

“The relocated landing will greatly improve the ferry experience for customers, enhance connectivity to North Shields town centre, and support further redevelopment and regeneration along the Fish Quay.”

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and the North East Combined Authority cabinet agreed last year to add £5.9m to the funding pot for the landing project.

At the time, McGuinness said: “This is about more than just the ferry service people rely on to get to work – it helps create jobs in restaurants, shops and the fishing industry by linking the Fish Quay to South Shields for the first time, bringing in more visitors and fitting with our £18m investment in a new college to revitalise South Shields town centre.